


Gilligan's Anatomy

by Zenparadox



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-02-23 20:42:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 68,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2554991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zenparadox/pseuds/Zenparadox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following an unbelievable storm seven individuals are stranded on an uncharted island.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,   
A tale of a fateful trip   
That started from this tropic port   
Aboard this tiny ship.   
  
The mate was a mighty sailing _wo_ man,   
The skipper brave and sure.   
Five passengers set sail that day   
For a three hour tour, a three hour tour.   
  
The weather started getting rough,   
The tiny ship was tossed,   
If not for the courage of the fearless crew   
The Minnow would be lost, the Minnow would be lost.

The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle…  
***

  
  
Callie Torres was hot. Extremely hot. She stood on the bow of her luxury yacht as the sun demonstrated its ever present dominance over all things terrestrial, or at least over all things Miami. The bead of sweat that trickled from her hairline was stopped in its track by a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. She glanced at her watch to note the time before she made her way to the bridge. Her first mate, Cristina Yang was on the bridge making last minute calculations and adjustments for weather.

“Yang,” Callie greeted as she entered the air conditioned bridge. “Oh god… it feels good in here. I can’t believe how hot it is out there, even for Florida.”

Cristina looked up from her work, “Yeah, it’s this stupid weather system. I’m not sure we should take this next tour Callie, this low pressure system is wreaking havoc on my navigation.”

“We have to, Cris. We need the payday. I love this yacht. You know it’s my whole life now… I can’t lose it.”

“I know, I know, but… look at the radar,” Cristina implored.

Callie leaned over the console watching the weather system that was raging. “It’s way south of where we are headed. The only way that storm hits us is if it makes a drastic turn north. And you’ll keep watch, right? If the storm changes course, you know what to do… you are a meteorologist _and_ a badass navigator.”

“I know… I really am brilliant, but that’s why I’m worried. This storm is unpredictable,” Cristina urged.

“Come on, The S.S. Minnow is the fastest boat in the marina. We can outrun anything that weather system throws at us… and besides it’s only a three hour tour. We drop them on the island and return to pick them up in a few days.”

“You’re the Captain, Cal,” Cristina sighed. “But I’m bailing at the first sign of trouble.”

“There won’t be any trouble,” Callie laughed. “And… I wouldn’t expect anything less. You are an excellent first mate.”

“Who are these people anyway?”

“Some rich neurosurgeon and his vapid rich wife and a bunch of their stupid rich friends.”

“Aw, Skipper, are you jealous?” Cristina teased. “You miss the high life?”

“Of course I do Yang, I’m barely keeping my head above water since Daddy cut me off. I’ve earned the right to be a resentful bitch toward the rich.”

“Yeah, but now those rich people pay your bills. You have to be nice.”

“Only to their face,” Callie chuckled. She grabbed the tablet that had her passenger list on it. “Ok, let’s see… um, oh… here it is. Derek Christopher Shepherd III and his wife…”

“Meredith Grey!” Cristina yelled.

“Yeah… it says here ‘Meredith Grey Shepherd’, but how did you know that?”

“Meredith and I were college roommates. We were really close, like really close,” She replied. “But we haven’t spoken in years.”

“Really?” Callie asked. “How close?” A lecherous grin on her face.

“Oh put your dirty mind away, not everyone is a secretly gay,” Cristina replied. “Just because you denied it forever doesn’t mean everyone is.”

“So what happened between you guys?”

“It was…” Cristina sighed. “Nothing. We just grew apart.”

“Hmm,” Callie hummed. Cristina gave her a look that had drop it written all over it. “So what’s her story now? Married to Derek Christopher Shepherd III?”

“Yep, I didn’t get an invite to the wedding, but grapevine tells me she’s a surgeon as well.”

“Well, how are we going to handle this?”

“I’m a professional, Cal,” Cristina said. “I’m going to stay locked on the bridge the whole time, you deal with the clients.”

“Ok, that’s fine,” Callie chuckled. “They are bringing some friends along…” She glanced back at her passenger list, “Professor Arizona Robbins and April Kepner. Oh… oh wow, that movie star, Addison Forbes Montgomery, is coming with them too. You’ve heard of her right?”

“Yep, superstar and McDreamy’s ex-wife.”

“McDreamy?”

“Derek Shepherd… Mere called him McDreamy, I called him McDouchey because he was still married to the actress. Of course, she wasn’t famous yet…”

“Oh my god, why are they coming on this ship together? That’s going to be awkward.”

“Who knows? If they don’t get here soon, though, we aren’t missing that storm.”

“Yeah, they are due anytime,” Callie said. “I’m going to run below and freshen up real quick.”

***

Callie went below deck to her cabin and changed into a fresh sleeveless blue polo shirt and white shorts. She also put on her Captain’s hat. She turned back and forth checking herself in the mirror. Not bad, she thought.

She arrived on deck just as her charter group arrived.

“Hi, I’m the Captain, Callie Torres. Nice to meet you,” She looked over the small group standing there. The man was nice enough to look at, his hair was a bit large for Callie’s taste. The one on his arm, Meredith, Callie assumed, looked kind of pretentious. Behind them was younger woman who looked fresh off the farm. She was looking at the boat like she’d never been on one before. Callie made a mental note to make sure she went over safety procedures with her… and showed her where the sick bags were. She looked green already. Next was the stunning ginger movie star, looking the part in dark sunglasses and large floppy hat to protect her identity. And last, but not least, an adorable blonde with a ponytail and serious look on her face.

“Hello, I’m Derek Shepherd. This is my wife Meredith, my ex-wife and business partner Addison. Also we have here, uh, Arizona Robbins and her research assistant… I’m sorry I don’t remember your name.”

“April Kepner,” the young redhead supplied.

“I will need you guys to sign some insurance waivers once we get onboard.” April’s eyes widened with fear. “Standard stuff,” Callie added. “Nothing to worry about.”

Everyone filed onto the yacht, and Callie had her deck hands bring aboard their luggage. She started reading the waivers and safety procedures out loud, then had each sign their consent on her tablet.

Addison smiled as Callie handed her the device for her electronic signature. The others had already found the bar and were cracking open a bottle of champagne.

“To bad I went paperless, I bet I could get some nice coin for your signature on eBay,” Callie said with a wink. “Or am I supposed to pretend I don’t know who you are?”

Addison slid her dark sunglasses down so she could look Callie in the eyes, “Everyone knows who I am, Captain Torres.”

Callie walked over to the blonde, who was already pulling out a laptop and typing something. “Ms. Robbins? I didn’t get your signature,”

“You can call me Professor,” Arizona replied, still distracted by her computer.

“Don’t mind her,” April interrupted. “The heat and lack of internet makes her grumpy.”

“No she’s fine,” Callie said. “I work for you guys, I’ll call her whatever she wants.” Callie handed Arizona the tablet for her electronic signature.

“Thanks… uh,” Arizona looked at the name on the insurance form. “Calliope.”

“You can call _me_ Captain Torres,” Callie replied. “Or Skipper… no one calls me Calliope.”

“I thought you said you work for us,” Arizona challenged. She looked up at Callie’s face and her words faltered, just for a second, as she made eye contact. “Shouldn’t _we_ be able to call _you_ what we want?”

“According to maritime regulations you have to call me by my title,” Callie clearly teased.

“Is that so?” A dimpled grin appeared. “Maritime regulations, huh?”

“Oh yes, maintaining chain of command is very important to… smooth sailing.”

Arizona laughed out loud, “Well then, Skipper, I’m yours to command.”

“Hmm,” Callie was at a loss. If she wasn’t mistaken… Arizona Robbins, uh Professor Robbins was flirting with her. “Interesting.”

“What is?” Arizona asked.

“What?” Callie blurted.

“You said ‘Hmm, interesting.’”

“Uh, I said that out loud?”

“You sure did,” Arizona teased. “So… what’s interesting?”

Before Callie could answer a woman came running down the dock dragging a suitcase behind her. “Hold the boat, hold the boat!”

Arizona closed her eyes and sighed, “Yeah… I’m going to go get a drink.” She walked away, irritation written all over face.

Callie walked back down the ramp and stopped the woman before she could come aboard the yacht. “Can I help you?”

“Yes, you absolutely can. I’m Lauren Boswell, I want to go with this group.”

“I’m sorry you aren’t on the booking,” Callie said. “I can’t let you onboard.”

“You don’t understand,” Lauren said. “The Shepherds are going to look at a property on the island and I was supposed to consult with them. Initially I was double booked and couldn’t go, but now I’m free and would like to join them.”

Callie glanced back over her shoulder to where Arizona was standing, she looked quite annoyed now.

“I don’t think so,” Callie said. “You aren’t on the manifest, I can’t let you onboard.”

“You can’t be serious?” Lauren asked.

“I can be,” Callie smiled. “When necessary.”

“Look,” Lauren reached into her purse and pulled out a wad of cash. “Are you sure you can’t get me on the list?” She waved the money in Callie’s face.

Callie just stood there with her eyebrow raised.

“I’ve got more where this came from,” Lauren added. Callie stood firm. “Oh, come on… Do you see that woman over there?” She pointed to where Arizona was now throwing back a shot of tequila. “That’s Professor Arizona Robbins.”

“Yes, we just met,” Callie said. “She seems… nice.”

“They called her in when I couldn’t go. But now I want to go, because she is going.”

“You really aren’t making much sense,” Callie replied. “And even if it did make sense, it’s none of my business.”

“Ok, here’s the deal…” Lauren looked around to make sure no one was in earshot. “We’ve been dancing around each other for months now, working on a research project together… and I think I have her just about ready to give in. If you know what I mean? And I think you do.”

Callie did know what Lauren was talking about, and frankly, she was put off, but she feigned ignorance. “I really don’t.”

“Oh, for god’s sake… she’s hot and I want her. This trip is the perfect opportunity. Do me a solid and I’ll make it worth your while.”

By now Callie was livid. It was clear from Arizona’s body language she wanted nothing to do with this woman.

Derek and the others came over to see what was going on. Arizona looked uncomfortable, so Callie lied. “I’m really sorry, but according to maritime regulations I can’t let you onboard without proper insurance clearance. There’s no time to get you cleared as we are about to pull up anchor and embark.” She turned and stepped back toward her yacht.

“Don’t worry, Professor Boswell,” Derek yelled from deck. “I think Professor Robbins’ expert opinion is enough this time. We don’t need you anymore."

Callie climbed back aboard, withdrew the ramp, and signaled to Cristina to pull anchor. Since it was a simple drop and retrieve, this trip would be run with a skeleton crew, only the Callie and her first mate. They slowly pulled away from the pier, leaving a dumbfounded Lauren Boswell fuming on the dock. Alone. Callie knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help herself… she sent Boswell a tiny wave and a wink.

“Thanks for that,” Arizona whispered as she stepped up next to Callie.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you are talking about,” Callie answered, but her smile said otherwise.

“I’m sure you don’t,” Arizona showed her dimples.

“Maritime regulations are maritime regulations. I’m a follower of rules.”

“Hmm, that’s funny. You seem like someone who likes to misbehave to me.” Arizona said.

“Is misbehaving something you find appealing?”

“Some people like that sort of thing,” Arizona replied.

“You wanna give me some names?” Callie asked.

Arizona leaned in and placed a sweet, innocent kiss on Callie’s lips, “I think you’ll know.” She smiled and backed away from Callie to join her friends.

Callie swallowed hard. She was suddenly overwhelmed with the need to cool off. “Uh… you guys take your seats, I’m going to go to the bridge and help my first mate get us out of here safely. If it gets too hot on the deck, it’s air conditioned below… and the bar down there is stocked too.”

Callie made her way up to the covered bridge, unable to control the smile that refused to leave her face. Not only would this small outing pay for this month’s slip fee, but she also gets to flirt with a very attractive professor. Win-win.

She looked down from her spot on the air conditioned bridge just as Arizona removed the light jacket covering her sundress and she reclined back on the deck chair. The heat of the sun’s rays made her skin glow.

Damn, was that professor hot.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

The weather _wasn’t_ getting rough, as a matter of fact, at just under half an hour into the trip, almost halfway to the destination and the ocean was eerily calm. This allowed them to move at a good pace.

Cristina was still concerned about the storm raging to the south, but so far it had stayed on its original course. Her current calculations had them making it to their island destination, dropping the clients off and well on their way home before the storm became a problem. She allowed herself to relax.

Callie left to mingle with the charter group in hopes of garnering a larger tip at the end of the trip. Yachts were expensive to maintain and without her father’s help, it’d been a struggle. Thankfully, Cristina didn’t demand a large salary and was happy work to for half of what she was worth as a navigator. Cristina was happy as long as Callie let her run and document her weather experiments aboard the Minnow, usually while running a charter, thus shifting the financial burden onto unsuspecting joy seekers.

The sun was so oppressive they had moved the party to the spacious cabin below deck. The salon was large and open with a television mounted on the wall and a bar that connected it to the dining area. Beyond that was the galley. There were also several bedrooms- a master stateroom and a VIP stateroom both with queen sized beds, as well as a guest stateroom, that contained two single beds, and the captain’s and crew quarters. Callie lived onboard the yacht fulltime, so the Captain’s cabin was the nicest of the large staterooms, containing a king sized bed and its own bathroom.

Callie was currently chatting with Derek and Meredith, giving them a run down on all the ship’s amenities. They seemed impressed and were expressing an interest in renting the boat for a longer period of time in the future. Callie was more than happy to have accommodate their schedule, especially if it meant more charters and connections with their friends.

Before long, the conversation shifted to Derek’s profession and he droned on and on about the clinical trial breakthrough he had, that had made him his fortune. Callie nodded in all the right places, but her gaze kept shifting over to Professor Robbins who was typing away on her computer, oblivious to the conversation and happenings around her.

Addison Montgomery was at the bar instructing the inexperienced April on how to make a proper mimosa. April may have been on this venture as Professor Robbins’ research fellow, but it seemed as if Addison had commandeered her as her own personal assistant.

The stunning ginger movie star was perhaps a bit self-absorbed, but she was aware enough to see the Skipper’s eyes on the cute blonde professor. That tidbit, along with the quick peck on the lips she witnessed earlier, was enough information to put a mischievous smile on her face.

“Captain Torres, how does a beautiful woman such as yourself become a ship’s captain?” Addison interrupted the conversation before Derek could start mapping the brain.

This caught the Professor’s attention and she looked up expectantly from her computer.

“Oh, well… it’s a long story, really, but the cliff notes version is I partially inherited The Minnow from my grandfather,” Callie smiled as she thought about her abuelo. “When he first got it, I would spend as much time as I could with him, every free moment. We sailed all over the Caribbean, his crew taught me everything I know.” She sighed, “Then came college and life got in the way for a while, but when he died… I just… I couldn’t let it go. So, I made a deal with the devil- _my sister_ \- bought out her half… and here we are.”

Arizona’s eyes didn’t leave Callie’s face the whole time she was speaking, even though, technically, she wasn’t part of the conversation.

“What kind of deal did you make?” Addison asked. “Sell your soul?”

“Addison,” Derek admonished. “Don’t you think that’s a little personal?”

“I do, it’s why I asked,” Addison replied. “How else are we going to get to know our lovely Captain?”  

Arizona’s eye twitched a bit at Addison referring to Callie as ‘lovely’ and she hadn’t forgotten the ‘beautiful’ from a few moments ago either. But Professor Robbins didn’t get jealous over women she’d known for barely an hour.

“Besides,” Addison added. “She put it out there that she made a deal with the devil. She can’t dangle that in front of us and not expect curiosity.”

Callie, for her part, laughed out loud… and the smile that graced her face at Addison’s inquiry brought and involuntary smile to Arizona’s. Which she promptly tried to hide.

“It’s not as scandalous as you seem to want it to be,” Callie replied. “I just had to purchase her share… which she financed. And she is charging me a ton of interest, but I didn’t have a choice…. So here I am, in debt to my little sister whose main goal in life is finding the next party.”

“Hmmm… just where did your little sister get all this capital…. Capital which you didn’t have?

Callie started to answer, but Addison stopped her “Wait, let me guess… Married into money?”

“Nope,” Callie answered.

“Win the lottery?”

“Wrong again.”

“Stock market savvy?”

“Ha! No.”

“Well… I’m kind of at a loss,” Addison said.

“Is she famous?” Meredith joined in the conversation.

“She wishes,” Callie laughed.

“Is she just more frugal than you?” April asked.

“No,” Callie sighed. “She just managed to not get disowned by our father.”

“Interesting,” Addison said. “What did you do? Drugs… alcohol? Drop out of college? Secret pregnancy? _Murder_ someone?” Her curiosity barely contained.

“I fell in love with a woman,” Callie answered. She tried to keep the sadness out of her voice, but failed. “Who, actually, dumped me as soon as I was poor, so…”

“Ok, now that sucks and has totally brought down the mood in the room,” Addison said. “I’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have pressed.”

“No, it’s ok,” Callie answered. “It is what it is. I can’t change… I shouldn’t have to change. I mean, one woman and my father disowns me? Who does that?”

“Wait, so this woman… she was your first?” Arizona asked from across the room.

“Um, yeah,” Callie answered. “She was. Hopefully not my last, though…” Callie added.

Arizona sat back in the chair. Her face not giving anything away.

“Well, no offense, but your father sounds like a jerk,” Meredith said. “And I know jerky fathers. I have one myself.”

“It’s true,” Derek said. “Her father is an ass,”

“So are you,” Addison said. “But we don’t hold that against you.”

Everyone laughed, but Arizona, whose expression remained thoughtful.

Callie noticed the change in Arizona’s demeanor and wondered what had prompted it. Addison noticed too. She was about to ask the professor, when the intercom crackled. “Um, Captain Torres? Hello… are you there?” Cristina’s voice came through the comm.

Callie walked over to the device on the wall and pressed the button, “I’m here, Cris, what’s up?”

“You’d better get up here. You, uh… need to see this.”

“On my way,” Callie replied. “Go ahead and make yourselves at home, the galley is as stocked as the bar. What’s mine is yours.” She made a hasty exit.

“Do you think it’s something bad?” April asked. “Like a… a storm or something?”

“Of course not,” Derek replied. “You feel how smooth the ocean is? That means…” As soon as the words were out of his mouth the small ship lurched and creaked. Their drinks all slid to the side and then back in the other direction.

“I’m going to go see what’s going on,” Arizona said. She jumped up and followed in the direction Callie had left, leaving the others holding onto their drinks, and April searching for a seasick bag.

***

“Captain Torres,” Arizona called out. “Wait up.”

Callie stopped at the top of the small stairwell and waited for Arizona to catch up. “Did you need something Professor Robbins?”

“I just wanted to come see what was going on, that last wave seemed a little out place, don’t you think?” They stepped out onto the main deck.

“No, not unusual, I expected a little chop by now,” Callie replied. “There is a low pressure system to the south we’ve been watching. That will affect the waves here… as I’m sure you know.”

“Of course, it’s just… your first mate sounded…” Another wave rocked the boat hard causing Arizona to lurch forward into Callie. The strong arms of the captain stayed her and kept her from completely hitting the deck. She looked into the Callie’s amused eyes, and stepped back. She tried to steady herself, but found it hard as the boat started to move up and down as harder waves rolled in.

“Come on,” Callie chuckled as Arizona tried to stand without swaying. “You’ll get your sea legs… let’s go up and see what my first mate wants.”

***

When they arrived on the bridge, Cristina was frantically entering coordinates on her computer.

“What’s happening?”

“You need to come see this, Skipper.” Cristina pointed to her computer. She glanced at Arizona “Who’s the blonde?”

“Oh, sorry… Professor Arizona Robbins, this is my first mate Cristina Yang.”

“I prefer to be called ‘Professor’, not… the blonde,” Arizona added. “But nice to meet you.”

“Whatever. Look at the radar, Cal.”

“This is impossible,” Callie looked at Cristina with apprehension.

“Right?”

“What’s impossible,” Arizona asked.

“We have a mesocyclonic thunderstorm forming right on top of us… kind of like an offshoot of the larger low pressure system to the south.”

“Wait, mesocyclonic? Like the kind of storms that produce tornadoes?” Arizona asked.

“Exactly,” Cristina added. “And I don’t think we can outrun it.”

Arizona starts scanning the horizon, looking for waterspouts or other evidence of vortex activity.

“You’re not going to see the spout, it’s too large. We are directly in the middle,” Cristina said.

“What do we do?”

“Well,” Callie said. “Cristina’s going to go below and batten down the hatches and close all portholes and windows.”

“On it Skipper,” Cristina said, immediately leaving to perform her duties.

“I’m going to get us out of here, but I’m going to need you to go below too, where it’s safe… and tell the others to hang on tight, this might get a little rough.”

“Calliope, are we going to be ok?” Arizona asked.

“Of course we are,” Callie lied.

“I know how to read radar, Captain Torres,” Arizona admonished. “That doesn’t look anything close to ‘ok’.”

“Just… go below and help Cristina secure loose items and get everyone into foul weather gear. Cris knows where it is. Oh… and remind her to pump the bilges.” At that Callie turned away and started plotting a course through the sudden storm.”

When Arizona left the bridge, Callie grabbed her safety harness and tethered herself to the ship. The next few hours were going to be rough.

***

Callie’s boating skills were put to the test, she fought hard to maintain course and managed to get them out of the sudden mesocyclonic thunderstorm by what seemed like sheer force of will. The passengers below were tossed about and scared. April lost her lunch several times over, but most were undamaged… physically.

The rocking and rolling of the boat had calmed, and the worst seemed to be over. No one dared move, though.

“I think we should rethink that longer boat trip we were contemplating earlier… maybe charter a flight back from the island,” Meredith said. She laid her head on Derek’s shoulder.

“Agreed,” Addison said. “I hope the Skipper is ok up there. It got really rough for a while.”

“She and Cristina know what they are doing. I trust them,” Arizona replied.

“Speaking of Cristina,” Derek said. “I can’t believe she is the first mate on a yacht. How does that even happen?”

“You know exactly how it happened, Derek,” Meredith replied. “Why she didn’t go to medical school with me.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” he replied.

“I can’t believe you guys know each other,” April said. “It’s such a small world.”

“That it is,” Addison shook her head.

The door to the cabin burst open and the very person they were discussing came through the door, she was dripping wet. “We made it through the surprise storm, however, it has thrown us off course and now we are caught up in the larger weather system we were trying to avoid. It’s going to be a long night. We haven’t seen the worst of it yet.”

“You mean… what we just went through…”

“Was the easy part,” Cristina interrupted. “I’m going below to pump the bilges again.”

“Wait,” Arizona called out. “How is Callie?”

“She’s brilliant,” Cristian replied. “You are lucky to have her as your Captain. She saved our asses more than once up there.” She started to head below.

“Cristina,” Meredith yelled, stopping Cristina where she stood. “It… it’s good to see you.”

“You too, Mer.”

“Maybe when we survive this… we can have a drink?”

“Sure,” Cristina said. “We can do that.” She stumbled in rhythm with the rocking boat over to the bar, opened the secured cabinet and pulled out a bottle of tequila. “You and me and this bottle, as soon as our feet are on solid ground.”

“It’s a deal,” Meredith smiled.

Cristina carefully stowed the bottle in a more secure location and headed down to the engine room.

***

Callie couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The largest wave she had ever encountered was barreling down upon them. She closed her eyes and sent up a silent prayer. When she opened them again they were full of determination. She brought the bow of the boat around and powered directly into the wind and the wave.

It took everything her tiny ship had, but it made it to the top of the wave, at one point it was almost vertical. She couldn’t stop to think of the beating her passengers must have been taking, or of Cristina, who was probably in the engine room hanging on for dear life. All she could think of was cresting that wave… If she could just get over that bastard… well, then she’d get over the next, and the next.

And so she did, for the next few hours she fought over wave after wave, until it finally seemed they were getting smaller and less turbulent.

Callie sighed in relief, as the end of their ordeal seemed in sight. Suddenly a piece of Cristina’s weather equipment broke loose from its mounting, the beating it had been taking had completely overwhelmed the clip and it flew directly toward her. She raised her arm to shield herself, but wasn’t fast enough. It clipped the side of her head and everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Callie felt the sun, warm on her skin, a feeling she was well acquainted with and which brought her comfort. The sand that prickled at her back, however, was unexpected. She tried to open her eyes, but the light was too intense. It sent a sharp pain through her skull. She moved to touch the side of her head that was pounding, but a gentle hand on her arm stopped her. She felt, rather than saw the shadow above her that blocked the blazing sun.

“Don’t try to move,” the woman said. “You’ve got quite a bump on the side of your head.”

Callie swallowed hard, her mouth dry, lips chapped. She tried speak, but all that came out was a garbled croak.

“Derek,” The woman yelled. “She’s awake… really awake this time. I think.”

Callie managed to open her eyes in the shade provided by the person hovering about her. She was met with a set of blue/green eyes- but not the ones she was hoping for. She again tried to sit up, but was held down by the redheaded actress. “Derek, hurry up. Bring some water.” Addison shouted, then quieter, “Sorry about the sun, we tried to get you in the shade here, but the sun is straight overhead now and I couldn’t move you myself.” She was lying on a beach along a somewhat sporadic line of palm trees that bordered a denser tropical forest beyond the coast.

Derek dropped down beside them on the sand with the first aid kit. “Ok Skipper, look at me.”

Callie shifted her eyes from Addison to Derek and he smiled, “Good. That’s good. Let’s slowly try and sit you up… and get you a drink.” They sat her up and he lifted the water bottle to her mouth. Callie grabbed it from his hand and took a large swallow. She sighed at the relief it brought her dry mouth and throat. She scooted herself back into the shade of the tree.

“What happened,” She managed to croak out. “Where are we? Where is Cristina? And the others…”

“I’m here, Skipper,” Cristina said as she strolled up to where Callie was now sitting. She was wearing a sling immobilizing her left arm and shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” Callie replied. “What happened to you?”

“Dislocated shoulder,” Derek replied. “Meredith popped it back in and stabilized it before we got off the boat.”

“And I lost my shoe,” Cristina complained.

“What?” Callie blurted. “I don’t understand… where are we?”

“We aren’t exactly sure,” Derek answered. “Meredith gave Cristina some tequila for the pain, so she’s been less than helpful.” He gave her a glare.

“The Minnow?” Callie asked.

“Lost,” Cristina replied. “Well, not lost lost, just not really sea worthy anymore.” She pointed down the beach where the yacht lay on its port side, a large gaping hole ran down starboard side. Meredith and April were dragging what looked like luggage off of the ship. Callie swallowed the lump in her throat as she took in the damage.

Addison followed her gaze, “I’m sorry about your ship, Captain Torres.”

“No, no it’s fine,” Callie sighed. “I’m just glad everyone is ok… wait! Where is Professor Robbins?”

“She’s fine,” Derek reassured. “She went to see if she could ascertain our whereabouts.”

“She’s been sitting here by your side all morning,” Addison said.

“You were in and out of consciousness for a while.” Derek added.

“I made her take a break… she went to explore a tad inland. See if there are any roads.” Addison said.

“Pointless in my opinion,” Cristina said. “She’s not going to find anything.”

“Your drunk first mate thinks this island is deserted.” Addison explained.

“Uncharted is what I said,” Cristina interrupted. “And yeah… probably deserted. A nice beach like this and no one has built a resort? Plus, look.” She pointed out toward the ocean.

Callie shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand and immediately saw what Cristina was pointing at. Several hundred yards out was a wall of mist that obscured the view of the ocean beyond. “ _What_ is that?”

“Could be a remnant of the storm, but I don’t think so.” Cristina said. “The current out there Skipper, it was crazy dangerous. This place feels… wrong.”

***

April and Meredith climbed back aboard the yacht to get more supplies. They weren’t sure why, but Cristina thought it was imperative that they get what they could off of the ship, while they could still get it.

They initially concentrated on food and water from the galley and had a nice little pile of supplies taking shape on the beach. Addison had been more in the way than helpful so they sent her off to watch over the unconscious captain to get her out from under foot.

“Do you think she’s right?” April asked.

“Who?” Meredith responded as she tried to drag her surprisingly intact luggage up to the main deck.

“The first mate, Cristina… I mean, you said before that you know her. Do you, um… do you trust her?”

Meredith stopped what she was doing. She looked thoughtful for a second before responding, “I do.”

“Ok, uh…” April stuttered. “So you think she’s right about this island? That it’s deserted?”

“I think Cristina Yang is brilliant, and Professor Robbins seems to agree with her. Do you trust the professor?”

“I mean I do… I only just started working with her, but… she’s like super smart… and an accomplished, talented engineer. And, and… _everyone_ wanted to work with her.”

“Ok then, I think we have our answer,” Meredith declared.

“Oh god! Oh my god…. We are shipwrecked on a deserted island,” April panicked. “What are we going to do… how are we… Oh my god! Oh god!” She started hyperventilating.

“Ok April, I’m going to need you to calm down. Slow your breathing… look at me, purse your lips. That’s right, now count to five, one breath… count to five.” Meredith coached April through her panic. “That’s good. Slow down. We are all fine, right? We made it through the storm. We survived. Remember how happy you were when the waves slowed?”

“I do, I do… You are right. We survived.” April calmed down somewhat.

“Better?” Meredith asked.

April smiled and nodded her head in the affirmative, “I’m sorry. Sometimes… I panic. I grew up in Kansas… this was my first time on a boat.”

“I’m scared too,” Meredith confessed. “But I have Derek to lean on, you are scared and alone. That’s got to be tough. It’s ok to have a freak-out. I think we are going to need to lean on each other a lot, all of us.”

“Yeah,” April sighed.

“Ok… let’s get this out of here, then go take a break.”

***

“Calliope…. Uh, I mean Captain Torres, you’re awake.” Callie turned and saw that Arizona had emerged from the trees, returned from her exploration. “How are you feeling?” She sat down in the sand next to the others.

“Confused, but fine… I guess,” Callie replied.

“Skipper, we need to talk,” Cristina said, her eyes flicked to Derek.

“I’m going to go help Meredith,” Derek took the hint. He got up to go help unload the yacht. “Addison, come on.”

“The Minnow’s power is down,” Cristina explained. “So we’ve been scavenging as much as we can before the tide comes in.”

“I think we are going to need it.” Arizona added. “I climbed that bluff over there and saw nothing but jungle to the east and to the west is what looks like a cinder cone, or some sort of volcanic formation. It’s not a large one, and it doesn’t look active… but no signs of any sort of civilization.”

“Could be weeks before we are found,” Cristina said. “If ever.”

“Cristina, my head hurts,” Callie said. “Don’t say stuff like that… even if this island is uncharted, we have an emergency beacon and satellite phones. It’s not the 1960’s. We’ll be found.”

“Yeah, about that,” Arizona said. “Everything here is wonky.”

“Wonky?” Callie asked. “Is that a technical term.”

“No, but it is an appropriate term,” Cristina interrupted.

“There is some sort of interference on the island,” Arizona explained. “We’ve been able to pick up radio signals, but nothing seems to be getting out. We tried for hours to make contact and nothing.”

“Skipper… as soon as we passed through that cloud wall out there? That’s when our compass just went… wonky.”

“It’s like we are in a bubble,” Arizona replied. “And not a pretty pink bubble.”

Callie reached up and rubbed her forehead. The information overload was causing her head to pound harder. She winced when she grazed the large egg shaped knot on the side.

“Hey, are you ok?” Arizona asked. Callie shook her head to indicate she was in fact anything but ok, prompting the professor to shout for help. “Dr. Shepherd! Dr. Shepherd! Captain Torres needs you!”

“No…” Callie tried to stop Arizona, but Derek was already jogging back over. “I’m fine… I just meant… I’m not ok with any of this…” She gestured toward the grounded yacht and the mysterious mist surrounding the island. “I’m still confused as to how the boat actually managed to ground itself. What happened?”

“Oh, I’m sorry I panicked… I thought it was your head.” Arizona apologized.

“Honestly, my head really does hurt,” Callie chuckled. “I _could_ use some Advil.”

Derek kneeled beside her and reached into the first aid kit, “Here, take this. We couldn’t give you anything until you were awake and responsive.”

“So… I was unconscious all night?” Callie asked. She took the bottle of water and swallowed the pills. Meredith, Addison and April dropped their loads and flopped down on the beach beside the rest of the group, ready for a break.

“Not exactly,” Addison replied. “After we got tossed around like a baby in a bouncy house, for god knows how long… it finally eased up a touch.”

“And allowed me to finally leave the engine room… with a dislocated shoulder and only one shoe,” Cristina added. “I tried to go check on you, but…”

“We couldn’t let her go above deck in her condition,” Meredith said.

“So, Dr. Shepherd and I went up and found you barely conscious strapped to your chair,” Arizona said.

“You had an obvious head injury and were showing signs of a concussion,” Derek added.

“That’s when the engines cut out,” Arizona said. “You were exhausted, and there was nothing more that could be done on the bridge, so we helped get you below.”

“Your pupils weren’t dilated and you were able to communicate normally, so I determined it was safe to let you sleep. We woke you several times through the night,” Derek said.

“Why don’t I remember any of this?” Callie asked.

“Memory loss is common with a concussion, even a mild one,” Derek explained.

“And if you add in the exhaustion…” Meredith added.

“Ok, so while I’m out cold … how did we end up here?”

“The boat drifted for hours. With the engines not running… there was no way for us to pilot the ship, as you well know,” Cristina added.

“Then sometime around dawn the clouds cleared and the water calmed,” Arizona said.

“We were _so happy_ to have survived,” April spoke up for the first time.

“But then we got caught up in a current… a _really strong_ current that drug us across that rock formation,” Cristina pointed to some jagged looking rocks just beyond the beach. “It landed us where we are right now,” Cristina said. “I tried dropping anchor when I saw where we were headed, but… the current was _really_ strong.”

“And, as soon as we went through that mist… all of our devices… phones, laptops, the compass… they all just went…” Arizona added.

“Wonky,” Callie sighed. They all shook their heads in agreement.

“Yep, wonky.”

“Definitely wonky.”

***


	4. Chapter 4

The castaways spent the rest of that first day pilfering food and supplies from the Minnow and constructing a make-shift shelter for the night. They snacked on some non-perishables and sipped on the water bottles. They decided to conserve what water they could in case a fresh source couldn’t be found.

Callie was still a little out of sorts due to her concussion, so the doctors suggested she take it easy and not engage in any strenuous physical activity. She figured that could go for all of them as they all had various injuries and bruises. Derek had his wrist wrapped, likely from a sprain. Meredith had some stitches on her thigh where a shard of glass had become imbedded. April’s lip was cut and swollen and Addison’s ankle was swelling more as the day went on. Arizona seemed to be the one untouched member of their group. Callie observed no visible signs of injury… and she’d more than glanced at the professor.

Arizona wasted hours fiddling with the satellite phones and the portable Marine VHF radio, monitoring all the maritime frequencies. She and Cristina had spent most of the day trying again and again to send a distress call. They could hear incoming radio chatter, but Arizona was almost positive nothing was getting out.

***

It was now well past sundown, but most of the exhausted group was having trouble sleeping, except for Cristina… who was passed out. Likely due to the tequila Meredith had been medicating her with. It seemed probable that Meredith would be the next to go, as it looked as though she was self-medicating a bit as well.

They had started a small fire to deter any animal life that may be on the island. Not that they’d seen any yet, but the precaution was taken all the same.

“I’m scared,” April admitted. The only light, that of the small flame. “I went to college less than 50 miles from my childhood home… now, a few months into grad school and I’m shipwrecked? How does that even happen?”

Arizona smiled in sympathy. She reached out and patted April on the leg. “We are going to be fine, April. They’ll be searching for us. We’ll be found… I’m sure of it.” Her confidence only partially feigned.

“Yeah, I know for sure I activated the distress call long before I got knocked-out. We can’t have been thrown that far off course. Don’t worry,” Callie assured. “Think of this as an extended no-frills beach camping trip.”

“Well… I, for one, don’t camp,” Addison said. She was currently lounged back against some pillows from the Minnow and had her ankle elevated. “Right, Derek?”

“It’s true, she prefers room service.”

“Don’t we all,” Meredith mumbled. “Oh what I wouldn’t give for some of that gazpacho andaluz we had at The Grand Towers Resort last night… or was it the night before?”

“Oh yes, Chef Scott’s favorite. He’s famous for it,” Callie sighed.

“You know it?” Addison asked.

“That’s my father’s hotel,” Callie said. “But I haven’t had any of that gazpacho for at least a year… you’re right though, that would be good right now.”

“I’d be happy with a hamburger,” April added. “Or if we are going with soups, corn chowder.”

“Lobster bisque,” Arizona added. “I’m grew up in Maine… occasionally.” Callie was about to asked how one ‘occasionally’ lived somewhere, but was interrupted before she could.

“Chilled avocado and zucchini soup,” Addison said.

“You are so southern Cal now, Addie,” Derek chuckled.

“I had to leave New York to get away from you,” Addison laughed. “Oh my god… I’m shipwrecked with my ex-husband and his dirty mistress.”

“Hey, that’s my wife,” Derek defended. He looked over at Meredith who had drifted off to sleep. “You were the one who was an adulterous bitch first.” Callie shifted uncomfortably. Arizona focused back on the radio in her hands. April just watched on.

“That is rude. And unkind,” Addison sighed. “And completely true. I’m sorry, Derek… I know we moved past this a long time ago. I don’t know why I brought that up. I was just thinking that karma is a bitch.”

They sat in silence for a while until Callie spoke up. “I’m going to try and take the inflatable life boat out tomorrow. See if I can get beyond that current… I’ll take the radio and try to make a distress call.”

“Not alone,” Arizona said. “I’ll go with you.”

“No, it’s too dangerous. If Cristina is well enough…”

“She won’t be,” Derek interrupted. “She’d be a liability with her shoulder.”

“Then I’ll go alone. I’m not risking any of your safety. Not again.”

“Hey. That’s not your decision to make,” Arizona argued.

“I’m the Captain, of course it is.”

“That doesn’t make you in charge on the island,” Addison added.

“I think I should be in…” Derek started, but stopped when for sets of judgmental eyes landed on him. “What?”

“If you say you should be in charge just because you are the only _man,_ ” Addison said. “I will hit you with a banana.”

“Oh, no Dr. Shepherd… please don’t, I’d be very disappointed if you said something like that,” Arizona added. “We don’t need you to take care of us.”

“Yeah, Derek,” Addison added. “Are you going to treat us like your harem? Should we crown you King of the Island?”

“Maybe we could build you a throne of coconuts?” Arizona asked.

“Ok, ok enough… I was just going to say… I should be _in the boat_ with Captain Torres,” Derek laughed. “I know better than to suggest I be in charge. I grew up with four sisters.”

“I’d go, but I can’t swim,” April said. “I mean… I can doggie paddle a little, but…”

“I’m the logical choice,” Arizona said. “I know how use the equipment. I don’t have an arm or leg injury, so I can row, and I’m a very strong swimmer. I swam competitively in high school.”

“I still don’t think…” Callie started.

“The decision is made, Captain,” Arizona said. “I’m not letting you go alone.”

***

Long after the others had drifted off to sleep, Callie and Arizona stayed up discussing their excursion. Best case scenario, they’d get past the current and the mist and be able to make contact with some search and rescue responders. That was the goal they settled on. No one wanted them leaving for an extended period of time. The consensus was to stick together as a group.

Arizona’s giant yawn made Callie decide it was time for them to rest. She banked the fire, and settled back against the tree. When Arizona went to lay down, she visibly winced.

“What was that?” Callie asked.

“What do you mean?” Arizona pretended not to know what the captain was talking about.

“You winced, are you in pain?” Callie prodded. “Where do you hurt?”

“I think I may have bruised some ribs, it’s no big deal,” Arizona tried to brush Callie off.

“Did you have one of the doctors look at them?”

“No… they were busy… and it’s not that bad. I promise.”

“Let me see,” Callie demanded.

“What? Why? You’re not a doctor…”

“I was in the Peace Corps for two tours… that’s four years, and I’m a ship’s Captain, I have more than a basic knowledge of first aid… Plus, I could have been a doctor… I actually planned to go to medical school after the Peace Corps, but my abuelo passed away…”

“Ok, you can look,” Arizona finally agreed.

“Lie back, I’ll get the flashlight.” Callie went to the small pile of supplies and grabbed the flashlight. When she returned, Arizona was reclined on the sand. Callie took a deep breath and kneeled next to professor. “Tell me if it hurts.”

She took hold of the hem of Arizona’s shirt and pushed it up to expose her ribs. She shined the light looking for visible bruising, but only found some mild discoloration. Arizona closed her eyes when Callie’s fingers ghosted across her skin tracing her ribs. Her stomach trembled.

“Are you ticklish?” Callie smiled.

“No,” Arizona answered. “You just surprised me.”

Callie put mild pressure in several spots causing some discomfort, but nothing unbearable. She tried to ignore the goose bumps that rose from her touch and concentrated on the task at hand. She carefully monitored Arizona’s reactions to her touch and finally determined that nothing seemed to be broken. Callie pulled the shirt back down into place and patted Arizona’s arm to indicate she was finished.

“So what’s your diagnosis, Dr. Torres?” Arizona asked, trying to calm the increased breathing that Callie’s touch had induced.

“We’ll have one of the _actual_ doctors check you out tomorrow, but I don’t think they are fractured,” Callie smiled. “But maybe we should wait another day before we head out on the raft. I could probably use the time myself.”

“We can do the prep work tomorrow and launch the following day,” Arizona agreed. “We should probably get some sleep.”

“You go ahead, I slept half the day,” Callie said. “I’ll keep watch and wake Derek up for watch when I get tired.”

“Ok, goodnight, Calliope.”

“Goodnight, Professor Robbins.”

Callie reclined against the tree, keeping guard over her fellow castaways. She felt responsible for their current predicament and she didn’t intend for anything else bad to happen to them.

Unbeknownst to her, another pair of eyes watched them, but these eyes observed from a crouched position beyond the tree line behind them.

***

The following day went much like their first, scavenging the Minnow and the surrounding area, and resting.

Cristina strongly objected to the Skipper going out on the small rubber boat, especially without her along. She feared they wouldn’t make it past the strong current they originally encountered on the way in. Callie dismissed her concerns, explaining it was the safest option for now. Cristina argued for hours until Callie had to pull rank and make it an order as her captain. Cristina finally accepted that Callie wasn’t going to change her mind, and went to make sure Arizona knew everything she needed to know before they launched the following morning.

They decided against further exploration of the island, if things didn’t go well, there would be plenty of time for that. They stayed on and around small beach where Minnow was grounded and the tree line behind it.

Later that afternoon, Cristina and Meredith were wandering along the line of trees trying to get some palm leaves to use for shade.

“Did you hear that?” Cristina asked.

“Hear what?”

“Nothing I just… thought I heard a twig snap or something.”

“I didn’t hear anything,” Meredith replied.

Cristina stared into the woods for a few seconds, her eyes roaming the underbrush. When she detected no sound or movement, she shook her head and said, “Ok, must have been my imagination. Let’s get these back before your movie star sister-wife gets a sunburn.”

“She’s not my sister-wife… she’s my husband’s ex-wife…”

“Who just so happens to be on vacation with you,” Cristina poked. “That screams sister-wife to me.”

“They are business partners, Cristina,” Meredith defended. “You don’t know anything about us anymore. You don’t get to judge.”

“You are right, I don’t know you anymore. You or McDreamy.”

“I don’t… I don’t call him that anymore.”

“Did he turn into a McNightmare? He seems the type,” Cristina joked, trying to lighten the sudden tension.

“No, he’s… wonderful,” Meredith replied. “You’ll see. He’s not the person you thought he was.”

“So, he’s not the guy who called you a lemon?” Cristina asked.

“No, he’s not.” Meredith stared at Cristina silently challenging her to disagree.

“Fine,” Cristina yielded. “Let’s get back.”

***

That night Callie and Arizona were allowed to sleep through the night, while the others took turns keeping watch. However, everyone was up at the crack of dawn… nervousness causing most to have a restless sleep anyway.

Callie and Arizona each ate a small breakfast before going over their gear one last time. Cristina followed Arizona around quizzing her on the various marine channels and frequencies she would need to use to send their distress call. The plan was to row out as far as they could, hopefully getting through the mysterious mist that surrounded the island and to make contact with any vessels that were in range.

Everyone that could, helped push the boat through the white water at the edge of the beach. Once they were over the initial few sets of cresting waves they rowed hard to get away from the land. Cristina stood on the beach and watched until Callie and Arizona had fought their way through the current and disappeared into the mist.

***

Visibility inside mist was nil. Their skin immediately became damp from the condensed water cloud they were traversing.

“What do you think this is?” Callie asked.

“I don’t know… I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Arizona stopped rowing and started trying to reach someone, anyone, on the radio.

“Are they working?”

“No,” Arizona sighed. “I don’t think so… maybe we need to get further out.”

“So we keep rowing.”

“Yep,” Arizona replied.

“How are your ribs holding up?” Callie asked.

“A little sore, but fine… all things considered.”

“Can I ask you a question?” Callie inquired.

“You just did,” Arizona replied cheekily.

“Hmm,” Callie narrowed her eyes.

“I’m sorry Calliope, ask your question,” Arizona said.

“Ok, well now I have two questions,” Callie said. “One: what are you a professor of? And two: why do you insist on calling me Calliope?”

“Oh, well… I have several types of engineering degrees, but what I’m currently focusing on and teaching is green technology and integrating that with agricultural engineering… thus the farm girl research assistant.”

“It sounds…”

“Boring, I know,” Arizona sighed.

“I was going to say important,” Callie admonished. “What you do is both exciting and important. There is nothing boring about saving the world.”

Arizona blushed at Callie’s compliment, “Thank you.”

“Are you going to answer the other one? Why do you call me Calliope?”

“Oh that’s easy…” Arizona replied. “It’s because no one else does.”

“That’s because I usually threaten anyone who does…”

Arizona laughed, “Oh… I bet that is scary.”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“I wouldn’t do that, Calliope,” Arizona said. “Especially after you said what I did was exciting and important.”

“Ok, I have one more very important question,” Callie said.

“And what might that be?”

“Are we ever going to make it through this mist?” Callie asked. “It doesn’t seem to be lessening at all.”

“I don’t know… the radio is still useless. The satellite phone too,” Arizona sighed. “I can’t even tell if we are still headed in the right direction.”

“Wait,” Callie yelled. “Look!” She pointed ahead. “I think I see something.”

The mist was starting to disperse and the boat got caught up in the flow of the waves again.

“What is it,” Arizona asked. She tried to stand to get better look, but a particularly turbulent wave knocked her back on her bottom.

“That wasn’t a very good idea, Professor,” Callie laughed. “Oh my god! It’s another island!”

The waves steered them around a small outcropping and into a small lagoon. They paddled through the calmer waters of the lagoon and landed the boat on the small beach. The pulled their craft up onto the shore and secured it with the anchor.

“I can’t believe there is another island this close,” Callie said.

“There isn’t,” Arizona sighed. “It’s the same island. Look.” She pointed to the small volcano. It was now situated on left instead of their right. “I think we’ve gone completely around the island and are now on the opposite side. The radio and phones are still wonky.”

“Well, crap,” Callie took off her Captain’s hat and threw it on the ground in frustration.

“Agreed.”


	5. Chapter 5

Cristina’s eyes never left the mist on the horizon. She walked up and down the edge of the water, staying just beyond the touch of the gentle waves. Her shoe was still lost somewhere in the flooded engine room of the Minnow, so her feet were bare.

“Cristina, come sit down,” Meredith implored.

“Why aren’t they back?” She ignored Meredith’s plea. “It’s been hours.”

“I don’t know… maybe they made contact and are waiting for the rescue ship?”

“Yeah… yeah, you could be right. They’d need to stay beyond the mist for the ship to find them… Yeah, that could be it.”

“See? No need to worry,” Meredith said. “Now come get something to eat… and I want to check your shoulder.”

“What food do we have left?”

“Most of the perishables are gone, but there is some bread and peanut butter. Lots of canned goods left, but Derek and April have yet to find the can opener. The galley is a wreck... and the broken glass is making it slow work.”

“Sorry I haven’t been able to help with much with the recovery,” Cristina tried to lift her arm, but winced in pain before she could move it beyond a few inches.

“It’s no problem,” Meredith said. “You and Addison are injured.”

“Her ankle still swelling?” Cristina asked.

“Yeah, but I don’t’ think it’s broken. She just stood too much that first day. A few days rest and keeping it elevated should do the trick.”

They arrived back at their makeshift campsite just as Addison was trying to get onto her feet.

“Hey, sit your ass down,” Cristina fussed. “Mer said you need to keep that elevated!”

“Well, I have to pee,” Addison explained. “Do you want me doing that here?”

“Oh… gross,” Cristina scrunched her face. “Meredith, you are in charge of toilet duty.”

Cristina stayed and made her sandwich, while Meredith helped Addison get a decent distance from their campsite.

“Gee, this isn’t humiliating at all,” Addison complained.

“Don’t be embarrassed, Addie,” Meredith laughed. “I’ve helped lots of people pee.”

“Yeah, yeah… I know, you’re a doctor… blah, blah…”

“I also partied a lot in college… in places where toilets were… not always available.”

Addison laughed and quickly finished her business.

“Oh… if the paparazzi could see me now.”

“TMZ would have a field day!” Meredith helped her hobble back over to the little shelter.

Cristina was eating a peanut butter sandwich and sipping on bottled water. Addison settled back into her spot in the shade. Meredith followed suit.

“What are those two doing?” Addison pointed toward the remains of the Minnow where Derek and April where lowering a large wheeled cart down to the beach.

“Oh… that’s the Skipper’s monster beach cart!” Cristina said.

“That’ll come in handy if our stay here is extended,” Addison said.

“Hah, yeah. When Callie would go to the beach… she would take everything with her. Towels, radio, cooler…” Cristina explained. “I gave her that for her birthday last year. I was tired of helping her drag all that crap around.”

“Derek looks like he’s about to fall off the boat and crush April,” Meredith gestured toward the Minnow again. He was hanging over the edge, lowering the cart to the young research assistant. “I’m going to run down there and help them. You two sit tight.”

Meredith left Cristina and Addison sitting in awkward silence. Neither comfortable enough with each other for small talk. Cristina shoved the rest of her sandwich in mouth. Addison picked up palm leaf and fanned herself.

***

Callie growled in frustration. She walked over to her prized Captain’s hat, the one that belonged to her abuelo, and kicked it hard. It landed with a flop in a small puddle at the edge of the lagoon. She ran over and snatched it out of the puddle before it could become completely soaked.

“Dammit,” Callie shouted. The hat was dripping wet, so she held it out in front of her and shook it hard to get the excess water off. She looked back at Arizona who watched her carefully, eyebrows raised. Callie’s eyes filled with tears and she tried her hardest to keep them in check, but one betrayed her and slipped over the edge.

“Hey, are you ok?” Arizona softly asked.

“Yeah…” Callie said. “No, actually… I’m not. This is all my fault.” Her carefully measured expression broke and the tears started in earnest.

“No. Don’t. You couldn’t have predicted this,” Arizona insisted. She pulled the reluctant captain into a hug.

“We are stuck on this fucking island because I needed a pay day.” Callie growled. “It was my decision… I shouldn’t have taken us out. I should have known… Cristina did. She was worried… she said that storm was unpredictable.”

“I saw the radar, the storm was to the south…” Arizona pulled back and tried to look at Callie. “That was nowhere near us, and the other was a rogue storm. Completely unpredictable.”

“Hmph,” Callie refused to look Arizona in the eyes.

“Hey… look at me,” Arizona insisted. “Were there any official warnings in the marine forecast?”

“Not for where we were going, but… I still should have been more cautious. I’m the captain. It’s my responsibility.”

“Come here,” Arizona led them up the beach out of the wet sand and sat them down. She held the distraught captain in her arms and let her cry out her guilt and anger. Callie finally lifted her head and looked Arizona in the eyes, “I am so sorry. I’m so sorry I got us into this. I’m just… I’m sorry.”

“Hey, stop,” Arizona put her hand on Callie’s face and wiped away a stray tear. “You saved us. You got us through that storm. You did everything right. You aren’t to blame.”

“She’s right, you know,” Came a male voice from tree line. “If the island wanted you here… there was nothing you could have done.”

Callie and Arizona jumped at the unexpected voice. They both stood, the captain taking a protective stance in front of the professor.

“Who are you?” Callie shouted. “Come out where we can see you. And no funny business.”

“I’m no threat to you… I mean you no harm,” the man said, still not out in the open. “I just… I’ve been here a long time… and I need your help.”

“Who are you?” Arizona asked.

The mysterious figure stepped out of the shadows and into view. He was wearing a battered and torn flight suit. His hair a mess of ginger tangles and his beard, surprising trimmed.

“I’m Lieutenant Owen Hunt of the United States Navy. I’ve been here for four hundred and forty seven days.  I bailed from my F-14 when it lost all power above this island. And I need your help.”

***

Addison stared at Cristina for a long time. Words kept forming but never made it past her lips. After about five minutes, she sighed loudly.

“What?” Cristina asked.

“You don’t like me very much, do you?”

“I don’t know you enough to form a judgment.”

“But you have, haven’t you?” Addison said. “You have an opinion of me based on… some past perceived transgression against your friend.”

“It’s not you who transgressed. You aren’t the one who… forget it. This has nothing to do with you.”

“Ten years is a long time to hold a grudge on behalf of another person,” Addison interrupted. “A person who, if I remember correctly, left you behind.”

“She didn’t leave me behind,” Cristina argued. “Contrary to popular belief, we were not attached at the hip. We are two separate people. Our lives have been fine without each other all this time. She got what she wants and I got what I want.”

“Huh, from what I understood… you wanted to be a surgeon also. How did you get what you want, if she’s the reason you didn’t go to medical school?”

“Meredith Grey and our friendship had nothing to do with that. That is a totally different issue. I _chose_ not to go to medical school. I _chose_ to change course.”

“And just why did you do that?”

“ _That_ … is none of your business.”

***

“Help? I’m not sure how much help we can be…” Callie said. “We can’t seem to get off the island either.”

“I… uh, overheard that some of your group are doctors?”

“You’ve been watching us?” Arizona challenged. “Why? Why not just… show yourself then?”

“I had to be sure you were… safe.”

“Wait… If you watched us… We were on the other side of the island… how did you know we would be here… today?” Callie asked.

“Because you were trying to get off the island via a boat.” He said like it was obvious.

“Ok… and?”

“And… every time I’ve tried to raft off of the island… no matter where I start, I always end up here.”

“So why didn’t you just stop us… save us the trip?” Arizona asked.

“Because you wouldn’t have believed me… and I needed you on this side of the island.” Owen replied.

“What’s on this side of the island?”

“My NFO, he slipped during the storm. I think his leg is broken.”

“Oh my god,” Arizona said. “Why didn’t you make yourself known earlier… we could have come sooner.”

“I… I was being cautious,” Owen sighed. “We’ve been alone for a long time. I didn’t know if I could trust you. I’m sorry… I… should have known better. The island always provides.”

“What?” Callie asked. “What does that mean?”

“It’s ok, it doesn’t matter,” Arizona said. “Just take us to your friend.”

“Thank you so much. It’s this way,” he started to walk back into the jungle. “There are some caves not far from here… it’s where we’ve been living.”

“There is one problem,” Arizona said. “Neither of us are the medical doctors.”

“That’s ok… when you see that we are not threat… you’ll get them, right? You’ll help us,” Owen pleaded.

“Of course we will, but…”Callie said. She turned to Arizona and asked. “Can we talk privately for a second?”

“Sure,” Arizona said. “Lt. Hunt? We are just going to go grab a few things from the lifeboat, ok? We’ll be right back.” She led them away from the naval aviator and back toward the water of the lagoon. “What’s up?”

“How can you be so trusting?” Callie asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… are we even sure he is what he says he is? How do we know he’s not some deranged killer?”

“Well… he’s wearing a standard issue naval flight suit, Calliope. So he’s telling the truth about that. Plus, he looks desperate…”

“Exactly!” Callie blurted.

“Desperate for our _help_ ,” Arizona finished. “Look, we’ll be cautious… but I don’t think I can refuse to help him.”

“Ok, but I’m taking that fishing knife Cristina packed in our gear,” Callie said. “Just in case.”

“Deal.”

They returned to where Owen was patiently waiting. He led them off into the jungle. Callie on high alert, hand on the knife at her side the whole way.

***

They walked in silence for about fifteen minutes. Callie’s overly cautious brain worked overtime. All sorts of nasty scenarios were playing out in her head.

“It’s not far,” Owen said. “Just right up here.” He walked on ahead, anxious to get to his injured comrade.

Callie was completely vexed at Arizona’s easy trust of the man. She grabbed Arizona’s hand to stop them and whispered, “Hey.”

“Hmmm?”

“Are you sure you trust this guy? We’ve known him for what? Twenty minutes?”

“I knew you for less than ten before I kissed you,” Arizona replied. “I’m a good judge of character, Calliope. Or are you telling me I was wrong about you? That my little thank you kiss was misplaced?”

Callie opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Owen pushed back through the foliage, and shouted “This way! Come on!”

Callie and Arizona stared at each other for a long minute, neither willing to give. Arizona smiled allowing her dimples to make an appearance… and Callie was done for. There was no way she could say no to that face. “Fine, let’s go,” She sighed.

They emerged from the foliage into a small clearing where rock formations lead to a series of small hidden caverns.

“This way,” Owen explained. “These caves are all interconnected and have provided some good shelter for us. The storm caught us by surprise though, and we were up there,” he pointed north. “Gathering eggs from the ducks…”

“Wait… ducks?” Callie asked.

“There are several breeds of ducks that call the Caribbean their home. The most common being the West Indian Whistling duck,” Arizona answered. At Callie incredulous look she continued. “When the Shepherds asked me to consult on their island property… I researched everything from plant life to wildlife. I’m no slouch. When I give my opinion on something it’s well informed.”

“You’re the professor. Who am I to dispute your techniques,” Callie smiled.

“I also know one hundred and one uses for coconuts.”

“Good to know,” Callie laughed. Her mind suddenly envisioned the professor in a coconut bikini.

“Why are you blushing?” Arizona asked.

“Um…”

“Can we go help my friend?” Owen interrupted, he was eager to get them in the cave. He didn’t have the patience for small talk. “Please.”

“Of course, lead on,” Arizona winked at Callie and entered the cave behind Owen. Callie was momentarily dumbstruck. Dimples _and_ a wink… She shook her head and followed.

Callie stepped into the cave a moment later, right as Owen and Arizona rounded a small bend. She hurried to catch up, not wanting Arizona alone with the stranger. Just as she caught up to them they all rounded another bend to find a man lying on a bed of palm leaves and what was probably his old parachute.

He looked up from the small basket he was weaving and sighed.

“Thank god you brought chicks.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Lt. Karev!” Owen shouted. “Mind your manners. I didn’t bring them here for you to ogle. They are here to help with your leg.”

“Yes, sir,” the junior officer grumbled. “It’s just… I’ve only had your ugly mug to look at for almost a year and a half.”

“I don’t care, show some respect to…” Owen trailed off. He looked at Callie and Arizona who stood there silently taking in the scene. “Um… I’m afraid in my haste to get you here… I forgot to ask your names.”

“Oh! Um… that’s ok. I’m Professor Arizona Robbins and this is Captain Torres.”

“It’s nice to meet you… Professor Robbins,” Owen shook her hand. He turned to Callie and took hers, “and you Captain Torres.”

“I thought you said they were doctors?”

Owen pointed to grumpy man on the ground. “This is Lieutenant Junior Grade Alexander Karev, my flight officer.”

“You can call me Alex, I’m not formal.”

Callie finally relaxed enough to speak, “Let me see your leg.”

Alex removed the grass he’d been basket weaving with and pulled his pant leg up. He winced in pain at the movement and beads of sweat arose on his forehead. Callie knelt down beside him and gently touched his leg below the knee. “It looks painful,” she said softly.  When he nodded his head in the affirmative, Callie continued. “I’m sure it’s broken. It’ll need to be set better than this, and you won’t be able to walk for a while.”

“I figured as much,” Alex replied through gritted teeth. “You don’t happen to have any pain medication do you?”

Callie smiled and reached into her pocket and pulled out the two Advil she’d brought along in case her headache returned. “This will help some. Not much, mind you, but every little bit helps, right?”

“Thank you, thank you,” he grabbed them out of Callie’s hand and swallowed them dry. He leaned back and sighed.

While Callie examined Alex, Owen was showing the professor around the cave. Pointing out different things they’d made and discussing some of his observations about the island. Callie carefully tracked them with her eyes until Alex’s voice claimed her attention again.

“So what’s your story? What are you a captain of?”

“Well, I was the captain of a yacht… The S.S. Minnow, but… It’s a heap now. It won’t ever be seaworthy again.”

“So… uh, your boyfriend or husband didn’t mind you gone all the time… out at sea?”

Callie laughed, “Are you trying to determine if I’m single?”

“Are you?”

“Yes, I am, but…” Callie glanced back toward Arizona. “You aren’t my type.”

“Well that’s just great!” Alex shouted.

“What is?” Arizona asked. She and Owen stepped back into injured man’s area of the cave.

“So much for your stupid ‘the island provides’ crap, Lieutenant. First of all, they aren’t even doctors. And second… After more than a year with no women, why would your stupid island send us two hot chicks… but make them into _each_ _other_. Your island is an asshole.”

“Karev,” Owen shook his head. “I’m so sorry about him. People skills weren’t his strong suit before a year away from civilization… they’ve apparently gone downhill.”

“No, it’s ok,” Callie said. “I understand… he’s in pain. _But…_ that’s an awful big assumption to make just from me saying you aren’t my type. Maybe I’m into gingers.” Callie’s eyebrow raised and she winked at him. She was trying to get Karev to laugh, but Arizona’s smile wilted at Callie’s denial.

“Yeah, well… tell me it’s not true,” Karev persisted.

Callie looked at Arizona, who returned her gaze. They stared at each other for longer than appropriate.

Arizona finally blinked. “It’s not true.” She said sharply, then changed the subject. “It’s getting late, if we want to get back to the other side of the island and get Derek or Meredith, _the actual doctors_ , we should head out.”

Callie looked hurt for a moment, and confused as well. She thought her and Arizona had some sort of connection, but maybe it was one sided. Not that it mattered, they were shipwrecked. They needed to concentrate on survival, not attraction. This wasn’t a romantic getaway. She shook off her disappointment and followed Arizona out of the caves.

***

Owen led them from the caves and through the treed area. He explained to them the island was actually quite small, and if they stayed in a straight line, they’d be at the center within an hour. Another hour beyond that, they’d be back at the north beach and reunited with their friends. He had alluded to some of the island’s mysteries when he spoke with Arizona in the cave and there was much more to tell, but talking would slow them down, use up too much energy, so they marched along in more or less silence. Callie and Arizona both seemed to be fine with the quiet time.

Callie brought up the rear of the group, her mind a mess of emotions. Finding the two men, and the fact that they’d been on the island for more than fourteen months, had removed the last bit of hope she had of being rescued anytime soon. She felt guilty about their predicament, despite what Owen kept repeating about the island… that it somehow wanted them there. He spoke of the island as if it were an entity in and of itself. Like it had control over who and what it brought here. Lt. Hunt seemed to have gone a tad bit crazy, whereas Lt. Karev became a bit of an ass. Or else, Callie figured, his rudeness had to do with the incredible pain his leg must be in.

Just as Callie’s brain decided to start processing the hot and cold manner of one Professor Robbins, they stepped out of the jungle and into a clearing.

“Let’s break here,” Owen said. “We should drink some water and have a snack before we continue.”

They all sat down and unloaded the food from the small packs they were carrying. April had made the two women a bunch of peanut butter crackers and neatly packed them each a small plastic container from the galley of the Minnow. Owen had what looked to be dried fruit folded carefully into a leaf. Callie pulled her crackers out and reached over to hand them to the long time castaway.

“Here,” she said. “We have plenty. It’s not much, just peanut butter and crackers, but…” Callie shrugged. “It’s better than nothing.”

“Thanks.” Owen happily took the container from Callie.

Arizona sat down next to Callie and opened her small container of crackers for them to share between them. As she took her first bite, she couldn’t help but go over in her mind again what being shipwrecked meant for them. She made a mental list of all the things they would need, and preparations they would have to make. Though, she tried to keep her mind on task, it was persistent in its desire to ponder the beautiful brunette sitting next to her. She had tried, unsuccessfully, not to think of her the whole first half of their journey. She had tried to tell herself that survival was the most important thing right now. She had tried to tell herself that the skipper was a newborn. She tried to tell herself that had they not been in the situation they were in, she wouldn’t have given the inexperienced woman a second thought. She was having trouble believing herself.

A loud moan from Owen interrupted Arizona’s thought process. She looked up at Owen, his eyes were closed in ecstasy as he chewed the small bite of peanut butter cracker.

“Oh my god,” he groaned. “So, good.”

Arizona chanced a glance at Callie who sat frozen, eyes on Owen, cracker halfway to her mouth. Her face morphed from surprised to the most radiant smile Arizona had ever seen. Then she laughed… _and it was breathtaking_ \- everything Arizona had been thinking was gone. Her mind was blank and she couldn’t help the smile that pulled at her own mouth. Captain Torres was stunning. And distracting. Damn it, she couldn’t have that right now… she needed to be focused on survival. She needed to be focused on this island and solving its mysteries, not focused on the way the skipper’s lips were _so perfect_ … Or focused on those little crinkles that formed on the side of her nose when she laughed. Or focused the amused glint in her expressive brown eyes.

“Lt. Hunt?” Callie asked. Bringing both Arizona and the moaning man out of their reverie. “Are you ok?”

“I’m so sorry,” he blurted. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had food like this. I mean, don’t get me wrong… the island has more than enough variety for a very fulfilling, well balanced diet. It just… you know, kind of lacks in the junk food department. Sometimes I miss processed food.”

“What sort of diet have you been subsisting on?” Arizona asked. Trying to get her mind off of Calliope Torres. “You both look pretty well nourished.”

“Oh yes, well, we have many different kinds of fruits… um… and coconuts, of course. Plus, some of the local vegetation is quite tasty, there are some yam type things… really starchy, but good.” Owen said through a mouthful of cracker. “There are also birds, fish, eggs, lots of shellfish and such. Food has never been an issue.”

“Fresh water supply?” Arizona asked.

“It rains regularly and there is a small fresh water lake over to the west,” He pointed in the direction of the cinder cone. “It’s fed by several small streams that flow down from the mountain.”

“Do you mean the volcano?”

“Yes, but it’s not active or anything,” Owen said. “There is never smoke and it’s quiet. It’s never so much as rumbled.”

“It’s probably dormant,” Arizona surmised. “No danger.”

“There are a couple of hot springs over there, though,” Owen added. “I’m not sure what that means about the dormancy of the volcano, but they are nice for cleaning our clothes and bathing.”

“Oh, thank god for that,” Callie cheered and wiggled a little dance from her spot on the ground. Arizona turned her head in the skipper’s direction, her expression filled with puzzlement. “What? I like to be clean,” Callie explained.

Owen chuckled and took a sip from his small canteen.

“I think fresh drinking water is a little more important than bathing,” Arizona said. Callie’s eyebrow lifted in response. “But… not by much,” the professor conceded.

“So food, water, shelter… steamy hot baths, sounds almost like paradise... except no coffee.” Callie said.

“Oh, wow… I hadn’t thought of that. I’m going to miss coffee…”

“Actually,” Owen said. “I found what I believe are wild Arabica plants on the backside of the volcano. I’m not a hundred percent sure, though. We don’t go there much… it’s the little one’s territory.”

“Little ones?” Callie asked.

“Do you mean… tiny humans?” Arizona questioned.

“Tiny humans?” Callie looked at Arizona confused. “What do you mean tiny humans? Like… children?”

“No, I mean humans who are small. Pygmies maybe,” Arizona clarified.

“Are you suggesting _Hobbits_ live on the other side of the island?”

“I didn’t suggest any such thing. I suggested the possibility that Lt. Hunt was talking about a smaller than average native _human_ population… that lives on the other side of the island.”

“Right,” Callie said. “Hobbits.” She turned to the island expert, “Are their feet large and hairy, Lt. Hunt?”

Owen watched the back and forth with a smile on his face. He’d missed human interaction. Alex Karev was a fine companion in a survival situation, but it was nice to laugh and joke with others. Wanting to join in the fun he replied, “Their feet are, in fact, hairy.”

Both women looked at him, shocked.

“You can’t be serious?” Arizona inquired.

“Bilbo lives on this island?” Callie blurted. “I can’t… I don’t… What?”

“No, no… I’m sorry,” Owen laughed. “Hobbits do not inhabit this island. Nor do pygmies or any native peoples. I’m afraid it’s much less exciting than that. It’s just… monkeys.”

“Oh,” Callie sighed, disappointed.

“What species?” Arizona asked. “Do you know?”

“I’m afraid I don’t,” Owen said.

“Why do you avoid them?” Callie asked.

“They’re kind of territorial, but they aren’t dangerous. Just loud and skittish and sometimes they throw… feces.”

“They throw poop at you?”

“They do.”

Callie sighed deeply, “I don’t care. If there are, in fact, coffee plants over there. I’ll brave the monkey poop to get the beans.”

They finished the last of their lunch in relative silence. Arizona took in the surrounding landscape. They were in a rather large clearing, only a few trees sporadically located throughout. “Tell me about this clearing,” she questioned Owen.

“There’s not much to tell,” he shrugged his shoulders. “It’s a pretty central area, but other than that, nothing noteworthy.”

Arizona’s eyes roamed the area, “Any wildlife call it home?”

“Not that I’m aware of, why?” Owen asked.  Callie’s look expressed curiosity as well.

“No reason, really… it’s just… a nice central location,”

“You are thinking something Professor Robbins,” Callie said. “I may not have known you for long, but I can tell you have something cooking up there.” She pointed to Arizona’s head.

“It might be a good place to build shelters. The caves are… nice, and would be good for bad weather, but we’d get little to no privacy there. And they’d be cramped. I think with what we can salvage from the Minnow, we could build a few nice sized huts right here. I don’t’ know… it’s just a thought.”

Callie and Owen both looked around thoughtfully. Callie was picturing a nice little home site. A few huts or shelters... a central cooking pit and meeting area. During her time in the Peace Corps she had helped establish several small villages. Arizona was right, this area was the perfect site to establish a living space; to organize a base camp. Callie reached over and touched the professor’s arm, “It’s a brilliant thought.”

 Arizona smiled. “We should head out. I think we’ve rested long enough.”

***

“I’m officially worried,” Cristina said. “They’ve been gone for at least six hours!”

Cristina, Meredith, Addison, April and Derek were all sitting around the little fire on their designated area of the beach. Cristina stood and threw a stick into the fire. Her frustration at not knowing where her friend and Captain were, was taking its toll.

“I’m worried too,” April said.

“Don’t,” came a voice from the trees. “Worry… that is.” Arizona and Callie emerged from the overgrown area behind their temporary base camp.

“What the?” Cristina jumped. “How did you get…” she looked back out toward the beach. “You went that way…”

“We did,” Callie replied. “And we made it through the mist and landed… on the other side of the island.”

“Oh my god,” April exclaimed. “What…?”

“What does that mean?” Derek asked.

“It means the current is too strong to row through,” Callie replied. “We can’t get past it.”

“Yeah, uh… it brought us to a lagoon on the other side of the island… were we met someone,” Arizona softly replied. She didn’t want to scare them too badly. The fact that they may very well be stuck for a good long time was going to be a hard pill for everyone to swallow.

“Wait… did you say you ‘met someone?’” Meredith asked.

“So… the island is inhabited?” Addison interrupted. “There are people here? We’re going to be fine?”

“Captain Torres, Professor Robbins, explain yourselves,” Derek demanded. “What is going on?”

“They met me,” Owen stepped out from behind the tree he’d been lurking just beyond. “I’ve been here for… a while. Plane crash.”

“Guys… this is Lt. Owen Hunt, he’s a U.S. Naval Aviator. Um, he’s been here for fourteen months and his NFO needs our help,” Arizona said.

“Yeah, I uh, checked him out as best I could, but he needs a doctor,” Callie looked to Derek and Meredith. Everyone had been speechless up until this point.

“What’s wrong? What does he need?” Meredith said, immediately transforming into doctor mode. “Our supplies are low, but… how far is he?”

“About a two hour hike from here,” Owen supplied.

“His leg is definitely broken and in need of a better splint,” Callie said. “I gave him the two pain pills I took with me for my head, but you might want to take some of Cris’ tequila. He’s going to need it to get through setting it.”

“Well… let’s go. Derek?” Meredith was up and already packing supplies.

“I’m coming too,” Cristina said. Her eyes never leaving Owen, the mistrust evident in her voice.

“Should we all go?” April asked.

“I don’t think I can walk for two hours, my ankle is still the size of a grapefruit,” Addison pointed to her own injured limb.

“Right… Meredith, Derek and Cristina, you go with Owen,” Callie said. “Arizona, April and I will stay with Addison. I need to start stripping the Minnow anyway.”

“Skipper?” Cristina simply said.

“It’s ok Cristina… I trust him,” Callie answered. She knew what her first mate was asking.

Cristina started to walk over to where Meredith and Derek were gathering their limited medical supplies, but she stopped and turned back to Callie and Arizona. “We aren’t getting off this island, are we?”

Her question was met with solemn faces and silence.


	7. Chapter 7

April Kepner was meticulous. She liked to focus on of every detail of whatever task she was performing. Right now, that task was inventory. She and Addison were composing a list of everything they had been able to take from the Minnow so far.

The Captain and Professor Robbins were currently in the Minnow trying to salvage the rest of the galley and the captain’s quarters. Derek, Meredith, and Cristina were off helping the two men who been found by the skipper and the professor.

April had enlisted Addison’s help in classifying and identifying the ever growing pile of goods that sat next to their make-shift campsite, but her helper had gone quiet. Her pen stopped it’s scratching across the paper in her little red journal. She looked up and found the actress just staring out over the ocean toward the horizon.

“Are you ok?” April asked.

Addison shifted her eyes to young woman, away from the vast unending ocean and enormous wall of mist in front of her. “Do you think we’ll die here, April?”

“No.”

“You sound awfully confident.” Addison said. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because God has a plan for me,” April replied. “And it doesn’t involve me dying as a castaway.”

“You really believe that?” Addison questioned. “You believe that God has a grand plan. That your fate is predetermined?”

“I do. I believe we all have a destiny. This is just part of our journey. Plus,” April looked around to make sure they were alone. “He wouldn’t let me die a virgin.”

Addison chuckled at April’s confession. “You’ve never?”

“Nope. Not even close.”

“Second base?”

“I don’t even know what second base is,” April confessed. “I mean… I think I do, but I’m not one hundred percent sure. And if it’s what I think it is, then no. Not even second base.”

Addison’s chuckle turned into a laugh. She laughed at their circumstances until her sides hurt.

“Ms. Montgomery? Are you sure you are ok?”

“April my dear, I think you can call me Addison.”

***

Arizona spread the bedding from the Captain’s quarters on the sand beside the Minnow, creating a makeshift staging area for the skipper’s belongings. She and Callie had just finished stripping the bed and they were about to remove the rest of the contents from the room. The other staterooms had already been cleared and the stuff was currently being inventoried by her research assistant.

She climbed back up the ladder, and the lowered herself sideways back into the interior of the capsized ship. Maneuvering was difficult, but not impossible. Care had to be taken to avoid areas of broken glass and other debris, but there were no major danger zones.

The tired professor slid on her butt down the hallway that lead to Callie’s personal space, the room the small ship’s captain called home. As Arizona inched closer she heard some muffled sounds coming from the direction she was heading. She immediately recognized the sound as crying and her heart broke for Callie. Her heart broke for all of them, actually, but right now it was Captain Torres that needed her comfort.

She quietly poked her head through the door to Callie’s room, what she saw caused her own heart to seize. Callie was holding a picture frame to her chest, the glass was cracked obscuring the image, but Arizona could guess it was the skipper’s family. Callie wiped at the tears that streamed down her face.

“Hey,” Arizona whispered. She moved herself so that she was sitting on the mattress beside the upset woman. “Are you ok?”

Callie looked through her tears into the compassionate blue eyes of the professor and just shook her head no. Arizona pulled her into her arms and allowed the broken woman to cry. Callie held Arizona tight, her face hidden in the crook of the other woman’s neck. She remained that way, with Arizona gently stroking the back of her head, until she got her sobbing under control.

“I’m so sorry,” Callie groaned. Her voice raw with emotion. “I just… I’m not normally so… weepy. I guess it’s all catching up with me.”

“Hey, it’s ok. I get it.”

“This ship was my whole life. Everything I owned is here… in this mess.” Callie looked around the room. All of her possessions were piled in the corners where they gathered as the ship heaved and swayed before finally coming to rest on its side. “I lived here. This was my _home_. Even if we get rescued tomorrow… I’ve lost everything.”

Arizona took the picture frame from Callie and looked at the picture. It was taken on the Minnow, the upper deck, it was obviously Callie’s whole family. She was a few years younger. On one side stood a an older man and woman, who Arizona assumed were Callie’s parents, on her other side was a guy with a smug grin on his face, he had one arm around Callie and the other around a younger, not-quite-as-stunning version of the brunette. Off to the back, slightly away from the rest of the group, stood an elderly gentleman wearing the Captain’s cap that Callie revered so much. “Tell me about this picture,” Arizona probed.

“That was after my college graduation,” Callie answered. “Right before I decided to leave for the Peace Corps. That’s my mom, dad, and sister Aria. My best friend Mark. And that right there,” she pointed to the older man. “That is my abuelo. This was his ship.”

“You guys all look so happy,” Arizona smiled.

“Yeah,” Callie sighed. “That was when they still spoke to me.” Her finger ran over the image of her parents. She chuckled at a memory. “Mark slept Aria that day and I was so pissed at him. And her.”

“Were you and he… an item?”

“No, no… just… no,” Callie laughed. “Well, once or twice. Maybe three times. But we weren’t a couple. And I wasn’t pissed at him because he slept with someone… I was pissed because it was my sister, ya’know? He slept with my baby sister. I thought he corrupted her. Turns out… she was the pushy one, not that Mark needed to be pushed. And honestly, I don’t have a problem with that, I’m all for sexual freedom… but she only screwed Mark to piss me off. And it worked. We all got in a huge fight and I left two weeks later for the Peace Corps. He was kind of my only friend back then… I was a bit of a nerd. It was hard to lose him, to step away from my safety net. Turns out to have been a good thing though. I wouldn’t trade my time with the Peace Corps for anything.”

“Are you and he,” Arizona pointed to the picture of Mark. “Still friends?”

“We are.” Callie looked into Arizona’s eyes. “But he works for my father, so I don’t see him as much as I used to,” this brought a smile to her face. “My dad found out about him and Aria while I was at my training. He tried to force them to date.” She was outright laughing now. “It was a complete disaster, but Mark did end up with a job out of the whole deal. I think it was my father’s apology for Aria.”

Arizona chuckled. “Is your sister that bad?”

“She’s the worst,” Callie said. “What about you? Do you have any crazy siblings?”

Arizona was prepared to deflect the question, like she always did when people asked about her family, but as she looked into Callie’s open and honest eyes, she felt safe. Safe sharing her beloved brother with her. Safe sharing that loss with her. “I do, but he’s not the worst… he was the best. But he’s gone. He… he’s…. He died. Was killed.” Her voice broke with the unexpected emotion. It had been a long time since she’d allowed herself to feel any sort of pain.

“Arizona, I’m so sorry.” They were still sitting in close proximity as a result of the previous hug, they were practically on top of each other. Callie reached her hand up and lightly touched the side of Arizona’s face. It was meant as a gesture of solace, and the blonde leaned into it, her eyes going closed. Callie’s eye’s shifted to Arizona’s lips. With the tiniest tilt forward their noses grazed gently across each other’s. Callie wanted to kiss the woman, to kiss her pain away. Kiss _their_ pain away… but instead used her hand to guide Arizona’s head to her shoulder. She brought her free arm around the back of the professor and held her tight. This time it was her shoulder providing the much needed comfort.

Arizona breathed in the scent of the woman who held her. She still smelled good, even after three days on a deserted island. “Mmmm,” Arizona hummed. “You smell good.”

“What?” Callie leaned back and laughed.

Arizona grabbed her and pulled her back closer, her nose immediately going to the side of Callie’s neck. “Yeah, for someone who’s been unable to bathe for three days… you smell really good… like… like… You smell like coconuts… or something…”

“Sunscreen maybe?” Callie asked. She held up an almost full bottle of Hawaiian Tropic.  “I found it in the pile over there. I put some on my face and neck while you were outside. Right before I started blubbering about my family.”

“Oh, yeah… we are a mess, aren’t we?” Arizona chuckled, wiping at the tears that had unexpectedly sprung from her eyes at her equally unexpected confession to the skipper.

“I think we are handling this situation quite well,” Callie said. “All of us are. Even your farm girl out there, who had barely been away from home.”

“Yeah, April is a bit of a spaz,” Arizona agreed. “But you know who has surprised me? Addison. She’s used to having people fawning all over her. Probably waiting on her hand and foot.”

“And that’s changed how exactly?” Callie laughed. “She commandeered April as her personal assistant before we even wrecked, and it’s only gotten worse since her ankle is sprained.”

“True, but that first day… when you were unconscious and before her ankle swelled, she was very… useful. Well…” Arizona’s face scrunched up in thought, “she tried to be.”

Callie laughed again. It was so easy and comfortable with the professor, she almost forgot they were existing in this crazy life or death situation. “She tried to be, huh? You sound so sure of her.”

“Hey, she happened to be very good at sitting there watching and waiting for you to wake up.”

“So when we create our division of labor. Our daily survival to-do list. Her job will be to sit there?” Callie giggled. “At least she’ll look pretty doing it.”

“You think she’s pretty?”

“Don’t you?”

“I guess, I mean… she does get paid to look good,” Arizona said. “But I prefer brunettes.” She smiled at Callie again. She couldn’t help it. The harder she tried to pull away from the woman, the more tantalizing she became.

Callie’s eyebrow rose in response. “And I prefer adorable, super-smart blondes over busty redheads any day.”

“Oh my god, you’ve been ogling her breasts, Calliope?” Arizona attempted to sound as if she were scolding the captain, but could barely contained her amusement

“I couldn’t help it. They were the first thing I saw when I woke up. She was leaning over me and they were _right there_. They completely blocked out the sun.”

“Wait… are you saying that Addison Forbes Montgomery’s cleavage created a total solar eclipse?” Arizona laughed. “So, you were only looking in the name of science?”

“Something like that.”

“I like girls who like science. And boobs. Girls who like science and boobs are the best.”

And there is was again. The breathtaking smile that practically melted the professor’s brain. Arizona vowed right then and there to distract that amazing woman from the heartache of stripping her damaged home and to keep that smile where it belonged… on the captain’s stunning face and directed right at her.

They were shipwrecked on a deserted island. Callie being a newborn meant absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. Arizona would put her reservations aside and let this friendship develop however it developed. For once she wasn’t going to overthink it. She was just going to _be_.

“We should get back to work,” Callie finally broke the smile sighed. “This room isn’t going to empty out itself.”

“Right, now which drawer did you say your intimates were in?”

The two women spent the rest of the afternoon flirting and laughing. The weight of their circumstance lifted in each other’s company. It was easy and comfortable and fun.

***

Meanwhile back in civilization, the Coast Guard was holding a press conference. The media were all over the story. A famous actress was missing at sea and everyone wanted a piece of the story.

Lexie Grey watched silently from the back of the room while Commander Miranda Bailey and Captain Richard Webber of the US Coast Guard gave details of the search and rescue operation.  Beside them stood a stoic Carlos Torres, father of the Captain of the S.S. Minnow. According to her research, he was a wealthy man, very wealthy… she hoped he would spare no expense in searching for his daughter, because even with a high profile passenger such as Addison Forbes Montgomery, the official search would only last a few days more.

The press conference ended, and Lexie made her way through the crowd intent on catching Mr. Torres before he left.

“Mr. Torres, Mr. Torres…” Lexie yelled in vain. He had been swept away by his entourage and out the back door. “Dammit,” She cursed.

“Can I help you with something?” A tall handsome man stepped up beside her.

“That depends,” She said. “Who are you?”

“I’m Mark Sloan,” He replied. “And who are you?”


	8. Chapter 8

Four weeks had passed since the fateful trip that landed the passengers and crew of the Minnow on this uncharted desert isle. In that time, the castaways had successfully stripped the Minnow and started to build temporary dwellings.

Addison was up and walking now, the swelling from her sprained ankle had gone down and her pain was at a minimum. They moved what they could from the north beach, where the Minnow rest, to the clearing near the center of the island. This area was now their base of operations.

Alex’s leg had been set, and his prognosis was good. Meredith declared his break a non-displaced grade one closed fracture of the fibula. Which was lucky for him, as the tibia is the bone that bears most of the weight for the body. With rest and stabilization for the first few weeks, he’d soon be able to put weight on his leg and walk without aid. In the meantime, Derek and Meredith constructed him some crutches out of bamboo resulting in him already being mobile. He didn’t like being stuck in the cave when the rest of the group were working in the clearing.

Professor Robbins and Captain Torres both found themselves in high demand. Their various skill sets were invaluable in establishing a survival strategy. Owen and Alex had survived just fine without much planning, but with a group this large everything had to be structured and deliberate.

The professor’s various engineering degrees and the skipper’s time in the Peace Corps resulted in them each being the go to for everything from water distillation and purification to hut design. The two women, who had both seamlessly taken to their leadership positions, organized plans for constructing huts and had half the group gathering supplies for building shelters, and the other half gathering and stockpiling food and drinkable water.

April proved to be extremely useful, also. Her farm background and her education had her identifying and organizing the various foods. Addison helped April with the gathering and storage of food.

For Callie and Arizona, being in such high demand resulted in the unfortunate side effect of not having had a moment alone since the day in the Minnow, but Callie planned to change that today. Owen, Cristina, Meredith and Derek were taking the day to gather more building materials. Alex stayed around the camp for the most part, but today he had ventured out with the two gingers on a coconut run.

They had all been over to the hot springs at various times, to wash and collect fresh water, but they hadn’t yet traveled beyond the stream to area Owen had pointed out as containing the wild Arabica shrubs. The skipper planned to grab the professor and check out the coffee plants that Owen mentioned the day they first found him.

Callie sidled up to Arizona, who was once again messing with the radio. It was still a mystery as to why they could receive incoming signals but nothing was getting out. “Still trying to get that thing to work?”

“Yeah,” Arizona looked up at Callie who stood above her. “Getting a signal out to someone, anyone, is our only viable option right now. You know they aren’t looking for us anymore.”

Two weeks previous, much to everyone’s dismay, they had learned through the US Coast Guard channel that the search for the S.S. Minnow had been called off. They had officially been declared lost at sea and likely sunk.

_The radio crackled, “The U.S. Coast Guard at 3:20 p.m. Friday suspended an almost 7-day full-scale and 14 mid-scale search-and-rescue operation for the missing S.S. Minnow,” the announcer said. “Searchers found no boat in distress, no debris, and no one in the water, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Richard Webber said at a news conference Friday afternoon at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami. The 86’ yacht lost its crew and five passengers: two prominent doctors, actress Addison Forbes Montgomery, a noted professor and her research assistant.”_

_Arizona clicked the radio off with more force than necessary, but her face remained stoic. Callie reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. The captain couldn’t make eye contact though, her guilt wouldn’t allow it._

_“Wait,” Addison said. “What… did that mean? They can’t just stop looking…”_

_“Addison,” Derek said gently. “It’s over.” He pulled Meredith into his arms and held her tight._

_“We knew this was coming,” Cristina said. “I’m surprised it lasted this long.”_

_After losing contact with a ship, and with no distress call present, most ships were declared lost after only a few days to a week. Callie liked to think her father had some influence in extending the search, but she had been so demoralized by her family of late, she assumed it was more likely due to the fact that there was a world famous passenger onboard._

_Owen and Alex both acted as if this news meant nothing to them as they weren’t on the Minnow, but the stick Alex had been poking at the fire with was now in two pieces and Owen just stared off into the woods._

_April Kepner sat quietly by the fire, silent tears streamed down her face. Addison finally reached over grabbed April up in a hug. The two gingers had become fast friends and provided each other with some much needed comfort in the moment._

“Right,” Callie sighed. She couldn’t dwell… dwelling led to dejection and hopelessness… and that lowered their chance of survival… and Callie wanted to survive. She had to. They all did. She couldn’t allow less. She shook off that memory and chose to live in the present. It’s all she could do. It’s all any of them could do. “Any imminent breakthroughs?”

“Not likely,” Arizona sat the radio aside. She noticed Callie was holding a gathering bag. “Are you going somewhere?”

“As a matter of fact, I am,” Callie smiled. She pulled the collar of her shirt aside to expose the bathing suit she was wearing underneath. “And I was hoping for some company.”

“Were you now?” Arizona looked around the campsite. “Too bad Addison is helping April,” She teased. “She’d probably enjoy a swim.”

“Yeah, well this isn’t just a pleasure trip,” Callie said. “I want coffee. I miss coffee and… _I want my coffee._ ”

“Aha, so you don’t want me, you _need_ me.”

Callie’s eyebrow shot up. “I do, in fact, need your hands. Especially your talented fingers…”

“You need me..?” Arizona asked, her tone leading.

“Mmmhmm,” Callie hummed. “To _pick my beans_.”

“How,” Arizona chuckled. “How… did you manage to make that sound naughty?”

“It’s a gift. Come on… get up, get your suit on under those clothes, and come help _harvest my bounty.”_

“Calliope,” Arizona shook her head.

“Reap my crops? Pluck my fruit…”

“Now you’re just trying too hard,” Arizona laughed.

“Just wait until we get to the part where you have to _squeeze the bean out of the ripe cherry_.”

***

An hour later the two women were passing by the hot springs and making the turn around the back side of the volcanic mountain.

“Let’s take a break here, before we start the upward climb,” Callie said.

Callie stretched her neck and shoulders and removed her pack. She smiled when she noticed Arizona watching. Arizona blushed, but didn’t look away. Callie sat her pack down and pulled out their water bottles. She tossed one to Arizona, who caught it and took a seat by a tree. Callie then sat and removed her shoe and shook out some debris.

“Are you sure you know what you are doing?” Arizona asked after taking a gulp of water. “Coffee production is complicated… and not necessarily essential to our survival.”

“Oh, it is essential… trust me.”

“You can’t be that bad.”

“Hmm, you’ll see when the rest of my stash from the Minnow is gone. I’m barely making it with the tiny one cup a day ration we are currently sharing.”

“I guess more coffee will be appreciated by everyone,” Arizona took another sip from her water bottle.

“How do you think that mango wine Cristina is trying to make is going to turn out?” Callie asked.

“Well… I’m no expert, but from what I can tell she has the chemistry right. And she is certainly determined.”

Callie laughed. “She is definitely determined. If we ever find agave azul on this island, she’ll be attempting to make tequila… of that we can be sure.”

“Yeah, April isn’t a drinker, but she told Cristina she’d help. Apparently, back on her farm, they were big with the homemade spirits.”

“It’s always the quiet ones,” Callie smiled.

After a few more minutes of rest and hydration, they wordlessly agreed to end their break and started their hike up the side of the volcano. About fifteen minutes later they came across the first signs of Arabica plants.

“There,” Callie exclaimed. She was pointing straight ahead toward a large area of bushes. “That’s our coffee.”

They spent the next hour and a half picking as many ripe coffee berries as they could.

“How do you know so much about coffee?” Arizona asked. “No wait, let me guess… Peace Corps?”

“Nope,” Callie replied. “My grandparents. They both worked on a coffee plantation in Cuba before immigrating to America. My abuelo tried for years to make a go of coffee farming in Florida, but the conditions just weren’t right for mass production,” Callie smiled. “He eventually gave up trying to make a living that way… bought a hotel and ultimately made my father a very rich man… but he never gave up his love of coffee growing. He kept a small grove that was mildly successful, and always roasted his own.”

“It sounds like you and your grandfather were very close,” Arizona said.

“We were,” Callie sighed.

The professor had gone silent again, as they all seemed to do when reminded of home.

“Were you and your brother close?” Callie ventured.

Arizona looked up from the bush she was currently stripping of berries and smiled sadly. “We were.” She didn’t elaborate, but that was ok. Callie understood.

“I think we’ve got enough,” Callie finally said. “Let’s head back.”

“Hot springs first, though… right?” Arizona asked.

“Hot springs first.”

“Good,” Arizona smiled. “Seeing you in that bikini is the only reason I came.”

***

The hot springs were located in a cave at the base of the dormant volcano.  On one side the heated water flowed down from an overhang, like a mini waterfall, and settled into a large pool, which remained filled at all times. The overflow trickled to the lower side of the small cave where it drained into a crevasse that dropped off into a deeper cavern below.

Wisps of steam were constantly rising from the warm pool of water. It was about five feet at its deepest point and after years of erosion had formed natural ledges around one side of the pool.  Callie and Arizona were taking full advantage, lounging back in the warm water, their bodies covered.

Arizona leaned her head back against a rock and sighed, “You know…” She said, her eyes shut as she relaxed, “If this island were a populated? You wouldn’t be able to keep people away from these hot springs.”

“Oh yes, if my Dad had a resort here…” Callie laughed. “He would charge a small fortune for this place.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Arizona’s eyes were still closed. Callie almost thought she’d drifted off to sleep when the resting professor asked, “How do you plan to grind?”

“What?” Callie exclaimed. “What… what are you asking me?”

Arizona peeked one eye open and took in the other woman.  “Your coffee. How do you plan to grind it?” She clarified.

“Oh… my _coffee_. Heh,” Callie chuckled. “I have a plan for that.”

“What did you think I was talking about?”

“Let’s just pretend I always thought you were talking about my coffee.”

Arizona lifted her head, both eyes now open. “What else could I have been talking about? What could we possibly grind…” She trailed off as realization hit. “Oh, Calliope… _you_ have a dirty mind.”

Callie dunked her whole body under the water, head included. Hoping the heat of the water would hide her blush. She popped back up a moment later to find to incredibly blue, extremely amused eyes looking directly at her.

Arizona slowly moved closer to suddenly nervous brunette, creating small ripples in the warm water. These tiny waves reached Callie a moment before Arizona did. Callie sucked in a breath as the little waves sloshed up over her breasts. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the woman stalking toward her.

“Hi,” Arizona said.

“Hi,” Callie swallowed.

“You’re blushing,” Arizona said.

“I don’t blush,” Callie denied. “It’s the hot water.”

“Hmm. The water’s not the only thing that’s hot.”

Arizona moved right into Callie’s personal space, and Callie’s eyes immediately went shut. Arizona leaned her body in close and whispered right in Callie’s ear, “What’s your plan?”

Callie’s eyes blinked open, “My plan?” she asked. “Uh, I don’t really… I don’t know what… I don’t really have a plan… ”

Arizona leaned back so they were once again face to face, her smile wide and her dimples deep. “So you were lying? About the grinding?”

“What?” Callie was so flustered by the blonde’s proximity and the flirting, she was practically speechless. Words weren’t working for her at this moment. “What?”

Arizona laughed out loud. “The coffee? You said you have a plan for grinding the coffee…”

Callie stared at the laughing woman, her eyes narrowed. “ _You_ are mean.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about, Calliope.” Arizona teased. “I just want to know how you plan to grind the coffee.”

“Well maybe I don’t want to tell you now,” Callie pouted.

“Your grinder isn’t battery operated is it?”

“Nope,” Callie answered. “It was electric.”

“Hmm. Do you have a mortar and pestle?”

“Um, no… why would I?”

“I don’t know, I’m just trying to deduce your method.”

“Well, I certainly don’t plan to just smash things together. The Torres Method is much more sophisticated. And unforgettable.”

“We _are_ still talking about the coffee, right?”

“Maybe.” Callie reached out and pushed a wisp of blonde hair that had fallen into the professor’s eyes aside. She trailed her finger down the side of her face and across Arizona’s lips. They were drawn toward each other, both sets of eyes fluttered shut...

“Professor! Skipper! Are you here?”

“Captain Torres!” Addison yelled. “If you two are in a compromising position… I suggest you disengage. You have approximately thirty seconds before Miss Kepner here rounds the corner to the cave.”

The two women pull apart and sigh.

“Rain check,” Arizona winked at Callie and moved to sit back on the ledge. “We’re in here,” she yelled out. “And our positions are acceptable for public consumption.”

April and Addison rounded the corner to find the two women sitting innocently next to each other, soaking in the hot pool.

“Professor Robbins, Captain Torres,” April greeted. “What have you two been doing all afternoon?”

“Not grinding,” Callie mumbled under her breath. Arizona poked her side.

“What?” April’s face contorted in confusion. “Did you say grinding?”

Addison chuckled. “So you were in a compromising position?”

“No, we were discussing Callie’s plan for grinding her coffee. Coffee we spent the better part of the morning picking.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” April said. “I would love to see the plants, are they far?”

“Just up the hill there, about a fifteen minute hike.”

“No way, Kepner,” Addison said. “I’m not climbing any hills or walking any further. I’m soaking. Scoot over ladies. You’re getting company.”

Callie and Arizona shared a slightly disappointed smile, but made room on the ledge for the two gingers.

Callie leaned over and whispered in Arizona’s ear.

“Pepper mill.”

***

Mark Sloan and Lexie Grey were in a standoff with Carlos Torres. They’d been inseparable for the two weeks since the search had been called off. Sharing their grief and loss… Mark his best friend, and Lexie her sister. They’d tried multiple times to convince Mr. Torres to help fund a private search and rescue mission for his daughter and the others, but so far he remained steadfast in his refusal.

“Come on!” Mark yelled. “This is Callie we are talking about. _Your daughter_.”

Carlos refused to look up from his computer.

“Christ, Mr. T…” Mark called him what he did when he and Callie were in college, hoping to remind Carlos that their relationship was at one time more than that of boss and employee. “You may have given up on her, as a matter of fact… you did that a long time ago, but I refuse to. She’s out there. I know it. I feel it. I can’t just give up. I, I…   _I quit_.”

Mark turned and walked out of Carlos’ office, pulling a stunned Lexie behind him.

“Mark… why did you do that?” Lexie asked. “Why did you quit. How are we going to do this on our own?”

“You’re not,” came a voice from the door behind them. Carlos had followed them out of the office. “Rent a ship large enough to carry a helicopter… and call them.” He handed Mark a business card that read Avery Aviation. “Send me the bill.” He turned and walked back into his office without saying another word.

“We did it,” Mark said.

Lexie just smiled and jumped into his arms.

“We’re gonna find them.”


	9. Chapter 9

The days were starting to blend together, one after another. April was keeping track of their time on the island in her journal, 44 days and counting. Days spent working, gathering, and building, led to nights filled with laughter and conversations around their large central fire pit.

Conflicts occasionally arose, but for the most part everyone got along well. New bonds were forming and some old renewing. Cristina and Meredith had mended their broken friendship and the bulk their time was spent together, which resulted in a lot of time for Derek and Owen to form a good rapport.

When Cristina wasn’t with Meredith she was getting to know the lonely, long time island resident Lt. Hunt. Cristina and the other island resident, Alex, enjoyed a quarrel filled relationship, prompting Cristina to dub him ‘Evil Spawn’.  Which was quickly picked up by April and Addison, who had themselves become inseparable, but constantly pestered by Alex, who hobbled around behind them like a dog chasing cars.

One current area of contention was with regards to the huts. Who would bunk with whom, along with size and location, were the biggest issues. Meredith and Derek were obviously staying together in one hut. Owen and Alex were used to each other and didn’t mind bunking in another. That left the five single ladies together until the fourth was finished being built.

The fourth hut was currently being constructed and Cristina was campaigning heavily for the right to move into that one with the Skipper. Callie agreed, mostly to save anyone else from having to bunk with her messy first mate. Much to Arizona’s disappointment, though, not only would she miss Callie’s presence, but April and Addison were driving her nuts.  On the other hand, the idea of another night sleeping in the same hut as Cristina Yang wasn’t appealing either. Her current hope was the budding relationship between Cristina and Owen would move along faster, motivating them to construct a place of their own, allowing her to slip into Cristina’s place in the Captain’s abode.

Those hopes aside, Callie and Arizona’s relationship hadn’t really moved forward in the last two weeks since their almost kiss at the hot springs, but things had been busy at the camp. Owen and Derek had returned from a food gathering trip at the western beach- which was rocky and full of tidal pools, allowing for shellfish and mollusks to be easily collected- with an abandoned adolescent monkey. The increased activity of the humans at the hot springs had instigated the monkeys to migrate further around the volcano, closer to that part of the island. The adventurous young primate had ventured too far away from the protection of the trees and was caught on a rock when the tide came in. Left for dead by its troop, the young monkey happily clung to Derek’s back and accepted dried fruit and fresh water from Owen.

The monkey, now called Bilbo, quickly adjusted to life at the camp. Almost everyone loved Bilbo, he even, on occasion, got Cristina and Alex to stop bickering and smile. However, Callie’s relationship with the monkey was a bit tenuous. Bilbo seemed determined to get at her drying coffee beans, so she watched and protected them day and night, which was earning him a place on Arizona’s list as well. She missed spending time with the captain and was quickly becoming frustrated by the situation.

**

Arizona was sitting at their newly constructed table recharging the radio batteries in lemon juice. Luckily, the Minnow was well stocked with extra batteries, but the professor wanted to get every bit of charge she could out of the old batteries before installing new ones.

“Taste this,” Addison sat a coconut cup down in front of her.

“What is it?”

“It’s Cristina’s mango wine. It’s done fermenting.”

Arizona picked up the cleaned out coconut and took a sip of the wine. It was a bit tart and unusual, but not unpleasant.

“Hmm, not bad.”

“I know,” Addison agreed. “I was pleasantly surprised myself.”

Addison looked around, “Where’s Callie?”

“With her coffee, where else?”

“You sound bitter. Not a fan of coffee?” Addison asked, taking her cup of wine back from Arizona and taking a sip.

“Oh, no… I love coffee, it’s just…” Arizona looked around to make sure they were alone, “I kind of like Callie, and I miss her.”

“Everybody likes Callie, she’s hard not to like.”

“No, I know… but I mean… I like like her.”

“You like like her, huh?” Addison smiled knowingly.

“Yeah, like… I look at her and I really want to kiss her.”

“So what’s your problem? Kiss her.”

“I don’t want to mess anything up,” Arizona replied. “We are all stuck here for who knows how long. What if she’s not into me?”

“Please,” Addison waved her hand. “She googley eyes at you as much as you do at her. You need to go for it.”

“You think?”

“I do,” Addison stated. “I mean, what are the odds of getting shipwrecked with a single hot lady who is also into ladies? You’ve got to take advantage when the universe is providing something good. Look at the crap the universe has laid on me… stranded with my ex-husband and the woman he left me for.”

“I thought you cheated on him first?”

“Details,” Addison waved her off. “But the universe has set you up with an opportunity.”

“The universe doesn’t arrange dates, Addison.”

“Well, the island then,” the actress chuckled. “Owen is always going on about how the island provides. The island has provided you with a date… actually, that’s a good idea. You should ask her on a date.”

“Ask her on a date? Are you serious?”

“Completely.”

“Well, let me see if I can get reservations at the five star French place on the other side of the island. Can I borrow your phone? My batteries are recharging.”

“Sarcasm is unattractive on you professor. Me, it looks fine on, but you get these little lines by your eyes… and with this sun. You should…”

“Addison,” Arizona warned.

“I’m serious, Professor,” Addison replied. “Not about the little wrinkles,” she winked. “But I am serious about you going for it with the Skipper… life is short, and unpredictable… don’t let fear hold you back. Carpe diem or whatever.”

“Seize the day.”

“Right, I know it feels safe here, but we never know what’s going to happen… that dormant volcano could wake up and blow us all to bits, Pompeii style. Let yourself be happy.”

“But what if we’re only interested because our choices are limited?”

“Bullshit and you know it, stop making excuses,” Addison insisted. “I saw you kiss her before we even left dock.”

“Oh,” Arizona blushed. “That was just… a tiny thank you for chasing off that awful Lauren Boswell. Actually… I should kiss her again just for that. I can’t imagine being shipwrecked with that pushy hag. She just couldn’t take no for an answer.”

“A thank you? _Really_?” Addison drawled. “Right on the lips?”

“It was just a peck.”

“You were interested and you know it. Stop trying to pretend otherwise. It’s not just the fact that there aren’t any other options for you that’s causing this attraction. It was there before. So… say I’m right, like I always am, and we can move on to the planning of the date.”

“You are right. I was attracted to her, but nothing would have come of it because I don’t date newborns. But… we’re stuck here, and she’s… amazing. I can’t stop thinking about her. Oh my god. Help me, Addison.” Arizona reach out and grabbed the actress by her biceps. “Please?”

“Of course I will, my young padawan. You just worry about asking her out, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

***

Callie had the coffee beans laid out on a tarp salvaged from the Minnow. They were almost ready to start roasting. She made use of a spatula to turn the drying coffee beans and was humming a song to herself. The committed captain was so involved in what she was doing she didn’t hear the approaching professor.

“Pieces falling from me,” Callie sang. “You can have them for free. Now it felt so complete…”

A small black and grey blur darted across the tarp, interrupting Callie’s song, and scattering coffee beans in its wake.

“Ahhhh, God!” Callie screamed and jumped. She was clutching her chest as if in pain, “Dammit, Bilbo. I think I might have died for a second. Just... go away… shoo.”  She flapped her spatula in the Bilbo’s direction and the monkey took off back toward the camp duly chastised.

Arizona chuckled in the background causing Callie to jump again. Callie turned to the giggling woman, “Are you trying to give me a heart attack too?”

“I’m really sorry,” Arizona beamed. The glint in her eyes said otherwise, she’d enjoyed the scene.

“Hmm, I bet you are,” Callie replied. “Get your butt over here and help me spread these beans back out.”

Arizona did as she was told and helped the captain smooth the coffee beans back into a flat evenly distributed array.

“So, Captain Torres…” Arizona started.

Callie looked up from what she was doing and made eye contact with the professor. “Hmm?”

“I was wondering if… if… maybe… you’d want to… go on a date with me?”

Callie’s face broke into a giant smile and all of Arizona’s worries lifted.

“A date?” Callie asked.

“Yes,” a more confident Arizona replied. “I like you, Callie, and I want to spend time with you. I, I know we spend time together, but… I mean… just us. Together. Friendly like… where we talk, and get to know each other and maybe… a little more. So… will you?”

“Of course I will, Arizona,” Callie replied. “And… I like you too.”

“Good,” Arizona smiled. “Lagoon… sundown. Be there.”

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

***

“Cristina! Be serious,” Callie fussed. “I need help.”

“You’ve never needed my help to date before, what’s different about this?”

“What’s different? Are you joking right now?”

“Look, I don’t see what big deal is, that’s all.”

“I really like her, for one,” Callie held up one finger, then another. “And two… she’s really hot.” Another. “Three… what if it goes poorly? I can’t just… not call her back tomorrow.”

“Come on, Skipper,” Cristina sighed. “You’ve been around each other every day for the last month and a half… it won’t go poorly. You guys get along great.”

“But what if… what if we don’t want the same things out of life… out of the future?”

“You both want to survive this,” Cristina gesture around indicating the island. “ _And_ be rescued… that’s all the future you need to be worried about right now,” Cristina looks thoughtful for a minute. “You make each other smile and laugh. You relieve in each other some of the isolation- isolation that we are _all feeling_ here on this deserted island. You should grab whatever bit of pleasure this place offers you. You never know, she could be your _soulmate_ … you wouldn’t want to miss out on that.”

“Wow, Cristina…” Callie smiled. “That was kind of lovely. I didn’t know you were such a romantic.”

“Yeah. If you tell anyone about it, I’ll deny it.”

“Are you going to do the same?”                                     

“What? Date Arizona?”

“Grab pleasure,” Callie said. “In the form of the hot navy fighter pilot guy.”

“I don’t know… he’s nice, and attractive. A bit broody at times…”

“Exactly. You’d be perfect for each other.”

“Hey, I’m more than broody and attractive,” Cristina protested. “I’m also brilliant and sarcastic.”

“You do have many layers,” Callie agreed. “But if sarcasm is your thing, maybe you should go for the other one?”

“Evil Spawn? No way,” Cristina shuttered. “I think he likes the ginger anyway.”

“Which one?”

“Either or both… does it matter?”

“Not to me,” Callie agreed. “So… are you going to? Grab Owen? Come on, Cris, he could be your _soulmate_.”

“Humph. What are the odds we both find our soulmates here?”

“I’m going to say… astronomical,” Callie deflated at the thought. “Well, that’s depressing.”

“Yeah… so in all likelihood, one of us will end up extremely happy with the person we were meant to be with, while the other ends up…

“Broken, sad, and lonely.”

***

Addison and April had set up a nice picnic dinner on a blanket and various island foods. Two tiki style torches stood off the either side, providing light for their encounter.

Arizona stood at the edge of the water looking out over the lagoon. It was just past dusk and the moon was just showing itself over the horizon. The professor was wearing a sundress, one of only three she had packed short trip. The bodice was solid sky blue, as was the skirt, until it reached the mid-calf where there was a soft floral pattern that encircled the hemline. It had spaghetti straps and light ruffles around the plunging neckline and a cinched waist.

Callie observed from the tree line, taking in breathtaking scene before her. Her heart rate picked up and palms started sweating. She mumbled to herself as she took a few tentative steps toward the gorgeous woman that stood waiting for her. “Don’t trip, don’t trip…”

Callie wore a solid red halter dress, with a gathered empire waist and flowing skirt that fell just below the knee. Her choices were greater as her whole wardrobe made it to the island, but she went with her favorite… her good luck dress. This night seemed too important not to.

Arizona heard footsteps and turned to take in the approaching woman. “Wow,” she breathed. “You look… amazing.”

“So do you,” Callie swallowed. “Did you set all this up?”

“I had help from the Ginger Twins… and their assistant, Alex.”

“I brought wine,” Callie held up the container of homemade mango wine. “Courtesy of the Twisted Sisters and their obsessive need for alcoholic beverages.”

“Do you want to…” “How about we…” They talked over each other.

“I’m sorry,” Arizona chuckled. “Let’s sit.”

“I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” Callie questioned.

“I am too,” Arizona admitted. “It’s very disconcerting. I don’t usually get the jitters on first dates.”

“I bet you’re a pro,” Callie said. “Oh my god,” her eyes got comically large, “I didn’t mean to imply you were a… I just meant… You probably have a lot of experience… Date a lot of women… I’m making this worse aren’t I?”

“It’s ok,” Arizona laughed. “I get it.”

“It’s just, you know. You’re all confident and stuff. You kissed me minutes after meeting me.”

“Yeah, I don’t know where that bravado is now.”

They sat on the blanket, Callie poured them each some wine and Arizona started laying out their meal.

“How did you…” Callie started, but shook her head. “Never mind.”

“What?” Arizona pushed. “You can ask me anything.”

“How did you know I’d be receptive to that sort of thing?”

“That sort of thing?”

“The kissing… Do you have like super gaydar or something?”

Arizona laughed out loud, “No, Captain Torres. I don’t have super gaydar.”

“So… it was just a shot in the dark?”

“No, Calliope,” Arizona smiled again, “I don’t do anything without thoroughly researching it first. If I was getting on a boat with you… I was googling you first.”

“Google told you I was lady lover?” Callie exclaimed.

“No, but it did show me pictures of you on the Minnow with your arms around Erica Hahn, and I _know_ she’s gay.”

“Oh my god… don’t tell me you and her ever… you know?”

“Oh… no,” Arizona made a face. “No, just no… she and I worked on a project together a few years ago.”

“Thank god,” Callie sighed. “That would have been awkward.”

The ice sufficiently broken, they spent the rest of their meal laughing and sharing stories of home. Callie felt a warmth building in her chest at every charming tale Arizona told.

Despite their general dire circumstances, this was quickly becoming the best first date either of them had ever had.

***

Callie and Arizona laid on the blanket side by side, their food long finished.  Arizona was pointing out her favorite constellations.

“We seem to be closer to the celestial equator,” Arizona mused. “The storm must have drug us further south, as well as east.”

“How can you tell,” Callie asked. She knew the answer, of course, she was a ship’s captain, but she didn’t want the professor to stop talking. She snuggled her head onto Arizona’s shoulder and awaited the professor’s explanation.

“Pisces, Cetus, and Taurus are almost directly above us.” She raised her arm and pointed to the sky above them.

“Hmm,” Callie contentedly hummed.

“But you know that already, don’t you,” Arizona turned to the side and looked Callie in the eyes. “You can navigate with the stars,” She brought the finger that was pointing out the constellations and ran it across Callie’s collar bone, “can’t you?”

“Yes, but I love hearing you talk,” Callie grinned. “I bet your students loved you.”

“My classes _were_ always to capacity,” Arizona smiled.

Callie scooted closer, their noses almost touching, “I really want to kiss you.”

“What’s stopping you?”

Callie pulled her head up so she was looking down at the other woman, she folded her arm up and propped her head on her fist. Her brow creased with concentration, “I’m thinking…”

“About?”

“You asked what’s stopping me,” she smiled again, “I’m just… trying to come up with an answer.”

Callie’s gazed trailed from the blue eyes of the professor, down to the pink lips that were smiling back at her. “I can’t come up with any reasons not to, so I’m just going to…”

Ever so slowly, she leaned forward, her eyes closed gently in anticipation. Their breath mingled for a fraction of a second before their lips melded together as one. Arizona’s hand softly slid across Callie’s face and tangled into the dark waves at the back of her neck. The kiss was tender and sweet... passionate, yet pure… and when Callie finally pulled back to catch her breath, she smiled.

Arizona’s eye’s fluttered open and she stared into the captain’s warm brown orbs. Callie went back for seconds, just an affectionate caress of lips. This time, though, instead of pulling back completely, she nudged the professor with her nose, and leaned their foreheads together. “That was amazing,” she sighed.

“It was breathtaking,” Arizona agreed.

“I feel bad for Cristina.”

“Cristina?” Arizona leaned back to look at Callie, her brow furrowed in question, “why?”

“She’s going to end up broken, sad, and lonely.”

 


	10. Chapter 10

Meredith and Cristina sat in front of Callie’s drying coffee on two deck chairs salvaged from the Minnow. They sipped their mango wine, protected the beans from the mischievous monkey, and gossiped about the other castaways.

“They are just so cute together,” Meredith said.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Cristina replied, “but I agree.”

“I think it’s the grooming,” Meredith continued, “It makes my ovaries want to explode.”

“You lost me.”

“It gives me a warm feeling,” Meredith explained. “It makes me want to be a mother.”

“I… don’t really see it…” Cristina slowly replied. Her face scrunched in confusion.

“You don’t want kids?” Meredith took a long pull from her coconut full of wine.

“Have you met me?”

“Right,” Meredith thought back to their college days. “You hate kids.”

“Now that’s a lie,” Cristina defended. “I don’t _hate_ them. They’re just… snotty, germ infested, puke and poop factories that rely on you for _everything_. It seems exhausting and time consuming and…”

“Rewarding and fulfilling,” Meredith added.

“So why don’t you and Derek have any?”

“Hostile uterus,” Meredith sighed.

“Oh… I’m sorry, Mer,” Cristina sincerely apologized. She patted her friend on the shoulder, “but… I still don’t see how the lesbians make you want to be a mom.”

“The lesbians?” Meredith asked. “What are you talking about?”

“You said they were cute together… with the grooming…”

“I was talking about Derek and Bilbo!”

“Oh…” Cristina clued in, “that makes a little bit more sense, but… is still kind of ridiculous… Derek grooming a monkey makes you baby crazy?”

“Of course not!” Meredith denied. “It’s um… the monkey grooming Derek that makes me have a _slightly_ elevated baby yearning. But… it’s nothing this wine and my hostile uterus won’t cure.”

“To hostile uteruses,” Cristina toasted. They tapped their coconut cups together.

***

On the other side of the camp Derek and Owen were enjoying some male bonding. Derek sat poking a long stick into the fire, Bilbo on his back running his tiny monkey paws through his hair. Owen whittled at a small chunk of wood with his very dangerous looking military survival knife.

Derek stopped stoking the fire for a second and said, “It’s a nice night.”

Owen looked up from his cutting and replied, “Yep.”

Derek resumed his fire poking, Owen carried on carving his wood, and Bilbo groomed.

***

At the table in the center of the clearing, the two gingers and Alex were playing rummy. Callie had several decks of cards on the Minnow and the bored castaways had been making use of them.

“What do you think they are doing?” April asked. She drew a card from the stock, rearranged the cards in her hand, and discarded.

“Do you really want to know?” Addison inquired as she took her turn.

“Kind of,” April replied. “I’ve haven’t been on a whole lot of dates. I’m curious.”

“Dude,” Alex interjected, “they are totally doing it.”

“No they aren’t,” April insisted, “it’s their first date!”

“Don’t be so naïve,” Alex replied. He scowled at this hand and discarded without making a play.

“He’s right, Apes,” Addison agreed. “Why do you think we left the blanket?”

“Yeah,” Alex said, a bit surprised that someone saw things the same way as him. “What do you think they are doing? Walking ‘round, holding hands… sharing a soda pop? Is that what you do back on the farm?” He ribbed.

April drew her card, smiled at Alex, “No, we don’t hold hands and drink soda pop back on the farm, but we do know how to kick-ass at rummy.”  She played all of her points, discarding her last card. “Rummy,” She smiled.

Alex threw his cards on the table in frustration. Addison just gathered them up to deal again.

***

Callie and Arizona walked along the edge of the water in the lagoon holding hands and sharing the last cup of mango wine.

After their make-out session on the blanket in which Arizona had started to get a little handsy, Callie informed her that she was a firm believer in the three date rule. Arizona growled a bit in frustration, but had contented herself with a few more kisses, before they embarked on their walk.

“Tell me about woman on the dock,” Callie broke the easy silence they had fallen into for their moonlight walk.

“Ugh, you really want to hear about her on our date?”

“You just seemed so… not happy to see her,” Callie said. “And to be totally honest with you, she said some things that were kind of… off-putting.”

“Things about me?” Arizona stopped walking and fumed. “That bitch. I can’t believe Lauren Boswell would…”

“No, no, Arizona, stop… calm down,” Callie interrupted. “It wasn’t anything off-putting about you… what offended me was how she _talked_ about you, as if you were a prize. She offered me money to let her on the boat.”

“I don’t even know how to respond to that… other than to thank you again for not letting her on the yacht.” Just like that day, 44 days ago, when she first thanked Captain Torres for rescuing her from Lauren Boswell’s unwanted attention, Arizona leaned in and pecked her on the lips… But this time, the peck turned into a little something more.

“Mmm,” Arizona sighed when she finally pulled away. “I could definitely get used to that.”

“Me too,” Callie ran her thumb over Arizona’s bottom lip. “So, Professor Robbins…. she was just, what… stalking you?”

“No. We were working together… had been for a few months. It was on a project for the Presidential Initiative on Green Technology,” Arizona sighed. “And don’t get me wrong, she’s brilliant… and driven… and she’s not unattractive, but she’s also pushy, and arrogant, and downright rude. She had no boundaries, professionally, or personally. She also likes to take credit for ideas that weren’t hers. Our collaboration had just come to an end. I didn’t need her anymore, especially with picking up April as my research assistant. Now that I’m ‘dead’ she’s probably suing my family for all of my patents.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Nah, don’t be,” Arizona laughed. “My dad is a retired Marine Colonel, he won’t be intimidated. He may not understand what I do, but he knows enough to get someone who does. He won’t let her take credit for anything that wasn’t hers.”

“It’s good that you have a family that has your back,” Callie said. “That looks after you, even when you are… gone.” Callie swallowed hard and looked away.

“Hey, don’t,” Arizona gently touched the brunette’s cheek to bring her face back toward her. “I’m sure your family…”

“Doesn’t even care that I’m gone,” Callie interrupted. She looked thoughtful for a moment, “No, no… I’m wrong. I bet Aria does…”

“Your sister? She misses you, right?”

“Misses my monthly payment on the yacht.”

“Callie,” Arizona gently cautioned. “Don’t think like that. It won’t… help.”

“You’re right,” Callie gave a defeated chuckle, “she probably has the insurance check by now. Much better than the monthly payment.” Callie felt herself getting angry and she didn’t like it. “No… you know what? I’m not letting her ruin my night. I’m on a date. A date with a hot, hot, teacher. Holding hands, under a beautiful night sky with a waxing moon. Let’s… talk about something less disheartening.”

“Like?”

“Um,” Callie thought for a second. “I don’t think you’ve ever told me what college you are affiliated with?” she asked.

“Ah… well… I teach at Cornell. In the Applied and Engineering Physics department.”

“Impressive.”

“I like to think so.” Arizona teased. “What about you? What did you study in college?”

“Oh, I went for a practical degree,” Callie chuckled. “Anthropology at Stanford, it’s where I first met Cristina.”

“Anthropology is a very respectable area of study, Calliope. Not everything needs to be ‘practical’. Wait… I thought Cristina went to college with Meredith… premed? How did she end up a meteorologist?”

“All I know is something turned her off of medicine,” Callie answered. “She was just starting grad school when we met. We shared an apartment. Dorms weren’t for me. My friend Mark lived across the hall from us, it’s how we became friends. Sometimes I miss old apartment 502,” she sighed.

They kept walking along the water until they reached the tree line, where they turned and headed back. They talked of Callie’s time at college and how her and Mark had formed their bond. They eventually made their way back in the direction of torches that were still burning by their blanket. Their hands clasp tight between them.

***

Mark had made a deal, by means of Carlos Torres’ money, with a shipping company that ran cargo from the Caribbean to the West African coast. They would be allowed to accompany them on various cross Atlantic trips, and to be able to run search and rescue operations via a helicopter from the ship. Carlos’ contacts within Avery Aviation had also provided them with unlimited use of a chopper and a pilot.

While the pilot was off running through his safety checklist, Mark and Lexie stood on the bow of the large freight ship.

Lexie was becoming impatient. “When is she going to be here, Mark? We are about to leave.”

“I don’t have any idea, Lex. You know as much as I do.” Mark said.

“Tell me again what she said when she called?”

“She, just asked if she could join in our search,” Mark explained again. “The line was breaking up… I don’t why or who she’s searching for.”

“There!” Lexie pointed, a thin sandy blonde woman, with green eyes, came running down the dock dragging a suitcase behind her. "Hold the ship, hold the ship!"

She made her way up the ramp, out of breath. Just in time to meet up with the freight ship’s captain as he strode up to Mark and Lexie.

“You barely made it, Miss,” he said. “We are about to embark.”

“I know, I’m so sorry,” she replied. “I had some paperwork issues, but that’s all taken care of now.” She looked at the talk man with slightly greying hair, “You must be Mark Sloan?”

“You are correct, and this is Lexie Grey and Captain Ben Warren, who is graciously allowing us use of his ship. And… uh… our pilot is off doing… pilot stuff… I don’t know where…”

“I’m sorry,” Lexie interrupted. “Your call dropped before Mark could get your name, who exactly are you? And why do you want to go with us?”

“Oh! Right, I’m sorry… I’m Teddy Altman. It’s nice to meet you all.”

***

Callie and Arizona had almost made it back to their blanket, when Arizona asked, “Why the Peace Corps?”

“Oh, that’s easy. I grew up privileged and I wanted to give something back.”

“It’s definitely very noble,” Arizona said. “And noble is hot.”

“My first tour maybe,” Callie laughed. “My second tour, I was hiding.”

“Interesting… elaborate, please.”

“I was married.”

“What?” Arizona stopped walking but Callie didn’t, causing their arms to stretch out between them. Callie turned and walked back to the stunned blonde.

“I returned from my first tour fully intending on going to medical school. I met George in a MCAT prep course. I’d been away for two years, Mark was always busy… working for my father, and I just… was searching for something. I thought he was what I was looking for. We ran off to Vegas, got married by Elvis, and were divorced less than two months later. He cheated. With his best friend.”

“That’s horrible!” Arizona exclaimed.

“Yep, so I re-upped with the Peace Corps, this time motivated by my humiliation.”

“Can I just say that this George person is stupid?” Arizona said. “A big dummy.”

“Yeah, he was a big dummy.”

“Is that the reason for your three date rule?” Arizona pulled Callie into her arms.

“Oh, um… kind of. My track record in love is less than stellar. I fall pretty quickly. I don’t want to get hurt again,” Callie admitted, “not that I think you will hurt me, but if we don’t work out…. Well, let’s just say, there may be a lot places to hide on this island, but it’d be awfully lonely.”

“I would never hurt you,” Arizona said sincerely.

Callie looked into those intense blue eyes and in that moment she knew. This woman was different, they were different. The circumstances of their start didn’t matter. The future, what happened when and if they got off the island… didn’t matter. All that mattered was right here, right now.

“I know,” Callie replied. She brushed a piece of blonde hair aside and smiled, “But you still aren’t getting any until the third date.”

Arizona laughed and placed her hands on the other woman’s shoulders. “You know… technically we could consider the hot springs our first date…”

“Oh no… that doesn’t count,” Callie said. “It only counts if one of us asks specifically for a ‘date.’”

“Humph,” Arizona grumbled, “you are making this difficult on purpose.”

“I am,” Callie conceded, “but only because the buildup is the best part. It makes it all that more… _mind-blowing_ when the time comes.”

“Well, when _it_ happens… I can guarantee that _time_ won’t be the only one that comes…”

“Arizona!” Callie cut her off. ”You… are naughty.”

“I can’t help it,” She sighed. “I mean… look at you!”

“You aren’t so bad yourself, you know,” Callie said. “Maybe a little eager, though,” she teased.

“I’m sorry… I’m not usually so ‘grrr’… caveman like,” Arizona smiled, “but… I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“The feeling is completely mutual,” Callie said. “You know that, right? You’ve been consuming my thoughts for weeks. _I feel it too_.” She pulled the professor in for another heated kiss and the _earth moved_. Literally. They pulled apart and looked at each other.

“Um…” Callie’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Did you just feel that?”

The ground rumbled again. The two women held on to each other to keep from toppling over.

“Yeah, I definitely felt that.”

“Was that an earthquake?” Callie asked. She looked around, her eyes wide with fear.

“I…  I don’t know…” Arizona swallow hard. “Maybe we should head back to the others, see if…” They were suddenly thrown to the ground as the island shook once more, this time with much more force. They landed with a thud, Arizona on top of Callie.

“Arizona…” Callie pleaded. “What is it?”

“I… I think the, uh, sleeping volcano just woke up.”


	11. Chapter 11

Callie and Arizona quickly gathered their date paraphernalia and returned to the clearing. Everyone was standing by the fire all talking over each other in a panic. The tremor had them all feeling unsettled.

As soon as they got within earshot, Arizona yelled, “Yang!” Her hand still clasped tightly to Callie’s, who she practically drug along behind her in her haste.  “Did you study any volcanology?”

“Some,” Cristina replied, quickly cluing into what the professor was getting at. “More general geophysics stuff rather than volcanology specifically. But I know enough, are you sure that…”

“Pretty damn sure,” Arizona replied before Cristina could even finish her sentence. “Can’t you smell it?”

“I’m kinda wasted on mango wine, I can’t smell anything…”

“I smell rotten eggs,” Addison interrupted.

“Yeah me too, but I just assumed Yang’s dinner wasn’t agreeing with her,” Alex poked.

“It is sulfur, you dumbass,” Cristina replied, realizing the smell Arizona was talking about.

“Are you suggesting the volcano is erupting?” Derek put his arm around his wife in a gesture of protection.

“It hasn’t rumbled like this before… and it’s definitely never smelled like that,” Owen added.

“What does that mean?” Meredith asked.

“Are we in danger?” April blurted.

“Everyone calm down… just calm down,” Callie said, “Let Arizona talk.”

“I don’t think we are in any immediate danger. It may have shaken the island, but I don’t think it was an explosive eruption. We would have heard it,” Arizona said. “But, we are going to need to go take a closer look, see if it’s effusive.” At everyone’s confused looked she explained, “We need to see if it’s pouring lava, and if it is… what direction it’s flowing.”

“I’ll get some stuff together and go with you,” Owen suggested. He made to leave, but Arizona stopped him.

“We’ll go in the morning, I’ll need Cristina and she’s… a little too tipsy to be helpful tonight. Plus, we won’t be able to see much of anything until daylight.”

“I’m coming too,” Callie insisted.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, Captain Torres.”

***

By the time Callie and Arizona changed out of the dresses they wore on their date, Cristina was already snoring on the pile of blankets that made up her sleeping area. Addison whispered quietly to April, who, as always, was writing in her little red journal. Arizona looked at her area on the far side of the hut from the captain’s and made a decision. She walked over, grabbed her blankets and drug them across the room and dropped them by Callie’s. Addison and April shared a smile, but said nothing. Callie also said nothing, but her eyebrow raised in question. Arizona just shrugged her shoulders and lie down a respectable distance, but still close, to Callie’s blanket. Callie joined her on the ground, both laying on their backs, eyes closed. Arizona’s hand crept over and gently grasped Callie’s fingers in hers, Callie squeezed Arizona’s hand return. Neither said word as they smiled into sleep.

***

Callie awoke the next morning to an empty hut and excited murmurings outside. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and smoothed her bed hair down before stumbling out of the hut to see what all the commotion was about. As soon as she stepped foot into the clearing she didn’t even need to ask. It was obvious what everyone was anxious about. Off to the west was dark plume of smoke rising from the backside of the volcano.

“Crap. That’s…. crap,” was all Callie could managed to say. “That’s bad, right? Is… is that bad?”

“Not necessarily,” Arizona answered. “It’s thicker than I’d like, but it’s not headed our way and... at least from here, it doesn’t appear to be heavy ash.”

“We should eat something and head over that way… soon,” Cristina added. She was hungover, but eager to get the exploration underway.

It had been decided the night before that Arizona, Cristina, Owen and Callie would go and investigate the area surrounding the eruption and determine the safety of their current camp location.

Alex and April went on an early morning egg run to retrieve some much needed protein to feed the foursome before their journey to the volcano.  They usually made due with fruit for breakfast but, considering the circumstances, felt a more hardy meal was in order. The marsh that the ducks inhabited was just a short trek from their camp, and Alex’s leg was mostly healed. He still had some residual pain, a slight limp, and when he walk for long periods he sometimes relied on a crutch for added support. He wouldn’t be able to join the others for the journey up the volcano, but and egg run? He could do. Besides, as much as he proclaimed April annoyed him, he seemed to seek out her company any chance he got, so fresh eggs were on this morning’s menu.

While they waited for Alex and April to return with breakfast, Callie roasted some of her coffee beans over the fire. Even if they weren’t quite dry to her liking, she was determined to have some coffee before they set out.  Once the beans were roasted to her satisfaction, she removed them from the heat to cool before she could ground them. While they cooled she prepped the French press from the Minnow and hung a pot of water over the fire to boil. She painstakingly ground her beans in the pepper mill, small batch after small batch. The resultant grounds were a bit finer than what she would normally prefer for a French press, but coffee was coffee. And Callie really wanted her coffee.

While the skipper was busy making her coffee, Meredith was slicing the fruit and Addison was shelling some nuts for the morning meal. Derek had taken Bilbo and an empty container to the fresh water spring to refill their supply.

Owen gathered supplies for their short journey to volcano, while Cristina and Arizona were back in the hut going over everything they could remember about volcanic eruptions. Arizona had a notepad in which she was taking notes, she didn’t want to miss anything as her and Cristina discussed all the possibilities.

“Worst case scenario…” Arizona started.

“Peléan or… Vesuvian, in which case, we’d all be dead already, so I’m guessing those are out.”

“And the sulfur smell seems to be dissipating- or else we are all getting used to it- but I’m going to say it’s not highly gaseous… thus, ruling out Strombolian.”

Cristina chuckled, “you actually said ‘thus’… who does that?”

“Um, me. A distinguished professor at Cornell University.”

“Oh, please. I bet I have as many degrees as you and I don’t say ‘thus’. Stanford is no slouch state school, either.”

“Cristina, we have neither the time, nor do I have the inclination to measure the size of our… diplomas. This isn’t a competition. We have work to do.”

“Right, you’re right. I’m guessing, and hoping, it’s a Hawaiian type.”

“Me too, a nice easy effusive, with a well place flow. Definitely best case scenario,” Arizona put her pencil and pad down and ran her hands through her hair and sighed, “We need to start thinking exit strategies.”

“I know.”

“And figure out why our radios and phones are screwed-up.”

“I know.”

“I don’t want to die on this island, Cristina.”

“I know. I don’t either.”

***

Callie pushed her way into the hut with a coffee in each hand, “I come bearing caffeine.”

“I don’t drink coffee,” Cristina replied.

“I know this, that’s why I only have two. One for me and one for Arizona.” She sat the steaming cups on the small table the professor had been using, “I hope you like it black… I guess you could sweeten it with some coconut, but cream is definitely out.”

“Black is fine, Calliope. It smells wonderful,” Arizona said. “Have you, uh, tasted it? Is it good?”

“Are you questioning my coffee roasting skills?”

“What? No… no, I’m not… I would never…” Arizona’s denial was cut off by a pair of lips on hers. She pulled back slightly and licked her lips. “Mmm, you have tasted it. It’s good.”

“Ugh, gross. I’m out,” Cristina headed toward the door of the hut, “are AK2 back from the egg hunt yet? I’m hungry.”

“Yes, and Owen was looking for you. He’s wants to go over supplies,” Callie quickly responded. Cristina acknowledged her with a wave of her hand, and left the two women alone. Callie leaned in for another kiss from the blonde before asking, “What were you two talking about, you looked so serious when I walked in.”

“Just… stuff. Volcano stuff.” She couldn’t make eye contact with Callie. She didn’t want to frighten the other woman.

“Ok…” Callie led. When Arizona didn’t immediately respond, she gently lifted Arizona’s face and whispered, “Arizona, you can tell me.”

“It’s just… I know too much. I… I’ve been thinking about all these scenarios. My brain won’t stop,” Arizona admitted. She sighed and held Callie’s hands in her own. “You know how they say knowledge is power? Well in this case knowledge is fucking scary. I can think of a hundred ways that volcano can kill us, Calliope, and that terrifies me.”

“Hey, hey… it’s ok,” Callie pulled Arizona into a hug, “we are going to be ok.” She pulled back and took the other woman’s face in her hands and stared directly into her troubled blue eyes. “Look, I don’t know anything about volcanos, but I know we’re still here. That’s a good sign, right? And if it’s going to continue to erupt… we’ll find a way to get off of the island. _I’ll find a way_. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Any of you. It’s my fault we are here, I’ll get us off this island.”

“Callie, no. I’m just freaking out a little. I didn’t mean… None of this is your fault.” Arizona grabbed Callie hands again and held them tight. “You know that, right?”

“I know,” Callie sighed. “Logically, I know I did everything right. I kept the ship afloat through that terrible storm, but I can’t help but think, constantly, that I shouldn’t have even set sail that day. Cristina warned me, I should have listened.” She couldn’t help the tear the trailed down her cheek.

“We’ve been over this before. No one else blames you, I’m not going to let you blame yourself.”

The door to the hut swung open and April stuck her head in, “Hey guys, you should come get some eggs while they’re hot.”

Callie discreetly wiped at her tears, while Arizona replied, “We’ll be right out, thanks April.”

“Ok… um, Callie? The coffee is really good. When you guys get back, will you show me how to roast it?”

“Of course I will,” Callie replied. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

April left the two women alone once again. They looked at each other and smiled lightly. “We are certainly a pair,” Arizona said.

“How so?”

“Me scaring myself and you blaming yourself.”

“Yep, the dejected duo. That’s us,” Callie laughed.

“Or, how about… the dispirited duo? Or the disheartened duo?”

“Demoralized duo.”

“Dismal, doleful… uh, depressed….”

“Wow, there really are a lot of words that start with a “d” that mean gloomy. Uh, how about dim, or dark… oh or, down in the dumps duo…” Callie said, her brow furrowed with concentration. “Ok, I think I’m out of words...”

“Oh, I’ve got one!” Arizona blurted. “ _Disconsolate_.”

“Ok, seriously… disconsolate? Who says that?”

“Um, me. A distinguished professor at Cornell University... wait, I think I’m having déjà vu.”

Callie stood and put her hand out to help Arizona up from where she sat, “grab your coffee you goof, let’s go eat.”

“Hey, watch who you’re calling a goof, missy. I happen to be one half of the Disconsolate Duo.”

***

The large cargo ship _Seattle Grace_ chugged along at a good pace over its regular route. The fact that it was also being used for as a search and rescue ship had in no way altered its chosen course. The only change in routine was extra passengers and multiple runs via helicopter, both north and south of it’s standard shipping route.

Captain Warren hoped these people found who and what they were looking for, but he held no delusions as to the likely outcome of their search. The only reason he agreed, was his Coast Guard wife had put a few good words about the lost ship’s captain. His years of experience told him the search was futile, but he wouldn’t be the one to dash their hopes.

It was Mark’s turn on helicopter leaving Lexie alone with the mysterious Teddy Altman. They hadn’t really had a chance to talk since they’d embarked on their journey, but the young woman planned to change that starting now. She’d tracked Teddy down to the galley, where she was sitting alone having a drink.

“Mind if I join you?” Lexie asked.

“Not at all,” Teddy gesture to the empty chair across form her. “They still out?”

“Yeah, should be back soon, though.”

Teddy poured the young woman a glass of the wine she was currently consuming, “I hope you like white.”

“It’s fine, I’m not a big drinker, but white is… fine.” Lexie smiled and took a sip.

“So… Lexie, is it?” At the young woman’s nod, she continued, “Your sister was on the yacht?”

“And brother-in-law, yes. And you are here looking for Professor Robbins? Was she a friend?”

“The best,” Teddy sighed. “She was also my sister-in-law, well… former sister-in-law. My husband, her brother, has been gone a few years now, but we are still family, you know?”

“I’m so sorry,” Lexie said. “This must be very hard for you.”

“I’m sure it’s no picnic for you either.”

“I can’t say it is,” Lexie replied.

“You know the odds of us finding them after almost two months are astronomical, right?”

“Yeah, I know, but… Meredith, my sister... I had to try,” Lexie sighed. “It just, it doesn’t feel right… Not looking, you know? I need to know… I need _closure_.”

“Yeah, I get it. Tim would have been furious if I didn’t at least try,” Teddy said. “The Robbins’ don’t give up without a fight. He was a good man in a storm, and so was his sister. This,” she gestured around them, “is the least I could do.”

“I kind of feel like I would know,” Lexie admitted.

“Know what?”

“That my sister was dead,” Lexie answered. “Like… I’d feel it. And Mark is the same about Callie. He swears he’d know if she were gone.”

“Is she… are they related?”

“They aren’t related, they’re just good friends, no… best friends.”

Teddy held up her glass and said “Well then, let’s drink to sisters and best friends.”

“And beating the odds.”


	12. Chapter 12

The four explorers were about halfway to their destination, roughly an hour and a half worth of steady hiking. The small island was normally easy to travel, but their path was taking them across the north side of the volcano and the added incline slowed them down. The chatter was kept to minimum to conserve energy, for which, Callie was grateful. They had yet to take a break and she was struggling, she wanted to stop and take a breather, but no one else even looked winded. She was sure her face was bright red with exertion.

“Ok guys, I need a minute. It is ridiculously hot and I’m thirsty,” Callie finally gave in and asked for break.

“Oh, thank god,” Cristina flopped to the ground and pulled out her water bottle. “I drank too much last night and it is so humid. I didn’t think we’d ever stop.”

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Owen asked.

“Because I didn’t want to be the wuss that asked for a break first. No offense, Skipper.”

“Whatever, it’s too hot to be offended.” Callie picked a nice shaded area and sat with her back against a tree. She sipped on her water while she caught her breath.

Arizona removed her pack and sat by the tired captain. “You ok there?” She took out her own water and took a long pull. She grabbed a bandana from her bag and poured a little water on it and handed it to Callie.

Callie graciously took it and wiped her forehead and then wrapped the damp cloth around the back of her neck. “Thank you,” she smiled.

“You’re welcome,” Arizona said. “We should have stopped for a break sooner, I’m sorry… I was kind of lost in my thoughts. I just… I need to see what we are dealing with.”

“You’re anxious, I get it,” Callie said. “But that volcano isn’t going anywhere. It can wait a minute.”

“It’s starting to smell again,” Cristina complained.

“Yeah, it’s almost as bad as it was last night,” Arizona added. “The lack of breeze isn’t helping. The air is thick with it.”

“Uh, professor? What would cause my compass to do this?” He held his arm out so they could all get a look at his fancy military watch. The compass was swinging back and forth randomly, not taking a steady position. As Owen moved his arm around the compass needle rotated faster. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said.

“Something is effecting the magnetic field on this island,” Arizona said. “That, we know for sure, but what it is? I have no idea.”

“It’s got to be something pretty powerful,” Cristina said.

“Agreed,” Arizona said. “Whatever it is, it’s a doozy. The compass, the radios…”

“I think it’s even effecting the currents and causing the mist around the island,” Cristina interjected.

“Right, I get all that, but I’m saying it doesn’t spin like this back at camp.”

Cristina grabbed his arm again and watched the compass spin, “So… is there any other part of the island you’ve seen this happen?”

“Not that I’ve noticed,” Owen replied. “But to be completely honest, I don’t usually look that much; there has never really been much need for keeping time.”

“Maybe,” Cristina started. Her eyes scanned the surrounding area, “maybe we should have a look around… see if anything close is causing it.”

“Yes, we can look around on our way back, but for now we need to see what that volcano is doing.”

“Ok,” Cristina said. She grabbed the bandana that Callie had cooling her neck. “I’m just going to tie this rag around a tree so we have a starting point.”

“Hey!” Callie shouted. “I was using that.”

“That’s a good idea, Cristina,” Arizona reached over and patted Callie on the knee. “You’ll survive,” she teased.

“Right, I guess break time is over then?” Callie groaned.

Arizona stood and held out her hand to help the other woman up from the ground, “Yes, it is. Suck it up, Captain Torres, we’re almost there.”

***

Back at the clearing Alex and Derek were putting the finishing touches on the roof of the fourth hut, the one that was going to be the captain’s new home.

“Are you even sure you should be bothering with that?” Meredith asked. “What if lava is headed this way and we have to move? You might be wasting your time.”

“The smoke is coming from the other side of the cone, it’s not headed this way,” Alex said. “The two nerds were pretty sure of that when they left.”

“Don’t call them that,” Addison threw a nut at Alex, which almost caused him to lose his balance and topple off of the make-shift ladder he was standing on.

“Watch it, I don’t need another broken leg!”

“He’s right, Addison, you should leave him alone. It’s not like you could take his place if he’s injured,” Derek needled.

“Oh, do shut up, Derek,” she grumbled. “He’s standing on some sticks, thatching a roof with palm leaves. It’s not rocket science. You could probably train your monkey to do it.”

“Ok, that’s enough,” Meredith intervened before it escalated into something worse. “Addison, let’s stop insulting Alex’s intelligence and go find April. Ok? See what she’s up to?” Meredith grabbed her by the arm and led her off toward the hut the women all shared. “Let’s let the men build. They like to feel useful.”

“Sorry about that, he just irritates the crap out of me sometimes.”

“Who…  Derek or Alex?” Meredith asked.

“Yes.” Addison deadpanned.

“Ok, then,” Meredith laughed.

They didn’t see April around the hut, so they sat at the table and waited for her to return.

“I really am sorry, I’m just in a mood today. That volcano has me all unsettled,” Addison admitted. “And not to overshare, but it’s that time of the month and it’s ridiculously hard to manage on a freaking deserted island. And, ugh, with this heat. How did you handle yours?”

“Oh, I haven’t had one since we were shipwrecked…” Meredith trailed off, her forehead creased in thought.

“Meredith?” Addison asked. “We’ve been here for almost two months. You’re not…”

“NO, no way,” she denied. “It’s impossible, I can’t… I have a hostile uterus. It’s probably just the stress of being on the island. It has my cycle out of sync. Nothing to worry about.”

“It _is_ something to worry about, Meredith! You… you can’t have a baby on this island.”

“Drop it, Addie,” Meredith warned. “I’m not pregnant. I can’t be.”

Addison narrowed her eyes skeptically. Meredith returned her gaze with an air of defiance, as if she were daring Addison to contradict her.

April rounded the corner of the hut her arms full of local vegetation. Not noticing the slight tension between the two women, she started babbling immediately, “Oh, hey guys,” she said. “I was thinking… there is a nice place just behind our hut, between here and the natural spring, which would be ideal for a garden. I think I could get some stuff to grow quite quickly there, and we wouldn’t have to forage as far and…”April trailed off when neither woman looked her way. “What’s going on? You guys are staring at each other and ignoring me. Not that people pay attention to me all that much anyway, but this is bit ridiculous.” When she still got no response from the two, she yelled, “Hey! I’m talking!”

The two women ended their stare down, and looked in farm girl’s direction. “I’m sorry, April,” Meredith said. “What were you saying?”

“What’s going on? Is there news about the volcano?”

“No, we were just… having a discussion.” Addison replied.

“About what?”

“About how, Meredith, is going to stop drinking the mango wine for a while. Just in case.”

“Oh, uh, ok?” April said. “I don’t… I don’t really have a reaction to that. Did it make you sick?”

“Something like that,” Addison said as she stared at Meredith again.

“It’s fine, April,” Meredith directed at the younger redhead, “I was just a little dehydrated and with this heat… I think I should forgo the homemade alcohol for a bit.”

“Ok?” April answered still confused. “Whatever. You guys want to help me plant a garden?”

***

The helicopter touched down on the flat deck of the very large _Seattle Grace,_ Teddy Altman exited while the pilot ran through his post flight checklist and powered down the chopper.

Lexie was waiting on the deck a safe distance away, her hair flowing in the draft caused by both the ocean air and the rotating blades of the helicopter. Teddy ducked and made her way over to her new friend.

“Anything?” Lexie asked when Teddy was finally in earshot.

“No, nothing at all,” Teddy answered. They leaned on the railing and watched the ocean roll by. “Except the smell. The pilot is all kinds of adorable, but being stuck in that small cockpit with his gas… was kind of gross.”

“What?” Lexie laughed. “He smelled?”

“Like rotten eggs.”

“Oh, that wasn’t me.” Teddy and Lexie both jumped as Henry Burton, the pilot from Avery Aviation walked up behind them. “I thought it was you.”

Teddy’s face turned red, as she tried to apologize for her bit of gossip, “I’m sorry, Henry. I didn’t mean…”

“I hope you meant the part about me being adorable, because I am, and I like when people appreciate that.”

Teddy blushed again at the man’s obvious flirting.

Lexie looked thoughtful for a moment before blurting, “Were you close to any volcanic islands?”

“Oh, um… Not that we could see, why?”

“There is nothing charted in that area,” Henry replied.

“I read this article once, about a volcano in Iceland that released so much sulfur dioxide that the foul odor could be detected as high as five miles up. _As in people on passing jets could smell the sulfur._ ” Lexie informed them.

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” Teddy said.

“I would never.”

“You are sure about that? You remembered that correctly?”

“I remember everything. Photographic memory.” Lexie tapped her finger on her forehead.

“No shit?” Teddy laughed.

“Absolutely,” Lexie said. “I would never lie about something like that.”

“Prove it,” Henry said.

“Quote, ‘ _The eruptions of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull in April 2010 and Grímsvötn in May 2011 caused air traffic to be temporarily suspended throughout Europe, affecting economic, political and social activities worldwide._ ’ End quote.”

“That is amazing, Lexie!”

“I think I remember that,” Henry said. “On tomorrow’s run, we can head back to that area. I’ll go take note of the coordinates.” He left the two women alone.

“You didn’t see anything?” Lexie asked again.

“It was really hazy, visibility was practically nil,” Teddy sighed. “I just don’t know what to think anymore. You never really comprehend how enormously large the ocean is until it’s all you see for days and days. I’m afraid I’m losing hope.”

“Hey, no… don’t do that. Not yet, we still have plenty of looking to do. Right? It’s not over yet,” Lexie said. She reached over and put her hand on Teddy’s shoulder, “I agree with you about one thing, though.”

“What’s that?”

“Henry is adorable,” Lexie giggled. “And I think he likes you.”

***

Two hours, and more frequent breaks later, the four explorers finally reached the apex of the volcano. As they carefully made their way around the rim they could see the smoke rising from the backside of the volcano.

“The main vent appears to be inactive still,” Arizona said.

“Yeah, we need to get around and try to get a better glimpse, but it looks like good news, at least for now,” Cristina added.

“Really? Good news, then?” Callie asked.

“The best possible news,” Arizona agreed. “It’s venting from the side, allowing the release of pressure. If the lava flow is large enough, it may delay an eruption from the main vent for… years.”

“What are we waiting for then, let’s go look at the lava!”

The closer they got to the backside of the volcano the hotter, thicker, and smellier the air got. They tied wet rags around their mouths to keep from breathing in any ash.

They made their way down and around the back of the volcano, below the smoke and ash level, and toward the flow of lava. They could see a massive fissure in the side of the cone, and a narrow stream of smooth molten rock. The effusive eruption poured out of the fissure and ran down the side of the volcano toward the beach and ocean below.

“Looks like our shellfish area is about to be wiped out,” Owen commented. “I’m glad the monkeys have moved on already, this is where they mostly stayed for the better part of a year.”

“Maybe they saw this coming,” Callie suggested. “They could have sensed something and that’s why they moved on.”

“It’s possible, I guess,” Arizona replied.

“Are you suggesting their spider-monkey sense was tingling?”

“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting, Cristina. Animals have senses that are much more developed than humans… they could have smelled that sulfur or even felt minute vibrations in the ground,” Callie said.

“Right, I forgot how much you loved that Primatology class… or was it the professor you loved so much?”

“Please, it was totally the class. I didn’t even know I was into girls back then…” Callie stopped talking for a second, her brow creased in thought. “Wow, now that I think about it… I think you are right! Oh my god, I was into Professor Isles… she was… hot, like really hot. I assumed I liked that class so much because of her lecture style! I… can’t believe I didn’t realize that.”

“Told you,” Cristina gloated. “You should have asked me back then, you could have found your lady loving self a lot sooner, and perhaps avoided that unfortunate marriage that resulted in the horrible side effect of you being called Callie O’Malley.”

“Don’t with the name, please. You know that’s something I’ve tried to forget,” Callie said. She shook her head and chuckled. She glanced at Arizona and said, “I guess I have a thing for hot professors.”

“Which I am grateful for,” Arizona replied, “and will certainly take advantage of at a later date, but I think we should head back. This ash and gas isn’t something we should be inhaling for much longer.”

As they made their way back the way they came, the foursome once again fell into silence. The trek down was faster than the trip up, and before they knew it, they were at the spot where the bandana was tied and Owen’s compass was once again wonky. They sat and discussed several possibilities for the electromagnetic interference, but they were all so hot, tired, and hungry they decided to come back another day to have a look around.

They arrived back at the clearing just in time for dinner. The filled the others in quickly on what they had seen, before rushing off to clean up before they ate.

Callie and Arizona were also surprised to find the hut completely finished and both Callie and Arizona’s stuff already moved in. Cristina made a couple U-Haul jokes, but was fine with staying in the hut with the Ginger Sisters. After spending another whole day with the man, Cristina was surer than ever that she would end up in his hut sooner rather than later. She just had to figure out what to do with Evil Spawn.


	13. Chapter 13

Callie and Arizona had retired to their hut early, they claimed both exhaustion from the day and to need to unpack their stuff. But Cristina was no April, and she knew what was likely to happen, which led her to a decision. Without a word, she walked straight over and into to Owen’s hut and started gathering up Alex’s belongings. She drug his bedding over to the hut where she and the Ginger Sisters slept and dropped it in front of the door. Entering the hut that was formerly hers, she gathered her own belongings and carried them over to Owen’s hut. Everyone, minus Callie and Arizona, watched without comment.

After putting her stuff inside of Owen’s hut, she came out with another load of Alex’s stuff and handed it to him. He was stunned speechless.

“Enjoy your new home,” She said, before turning and going back into Owen’s hut and shutting the door.

“Um…” Owen’s eyes shifted from person to person as they all looked to him for an explanation. “I should… probably go see what that’s about.”

“Ya think?” Alex asked sarcastically.

Owen entered his hut cautiously and slowly shut the door behind him. He was in there for several minutes before popping his now shirtless torso back out the door, “Alex... uh, enjoy your new home….”

He was suddenly yanked back in to the hut, the door resoundingly slamming shut.

Alex looked to Addison, then April who were both still stunned. “Guess were roomies,” he said, and took his stuff into their hut.

“Oh my god,” April put her head in her hands.

“It’s okay, Apes,” Addison said. “I don’t think he bites, and he can’t snore louder than Cristina.”

“My daddy would kill me if he knew I was living with a boy!”

“Hmmm, well if your daddy shows up on the island, we’ll just tell him Alex is gay.”

April thinks it over for a minute, “Yeah, I guess that could work…”

Addison sighed. She took April by the shoulders and looked directly into her eyes, “I was kidding, sweetie. If your father somehow ends up on this island, don’t you think he’ll be more happy to see you alive, than mad about who you are sleeping with? Not that you’ll be ‘sleeping’ with Alex, but you know what I mean.”

“Oh, yeah… you’re right, besides, my dad has never been out of Kansas either. No way will he show up on this island. I think I’m safe.”

Derek cleared his throat and interrupted, “I think it’s time Mrs. Roper and I went to bed too, so you two enjoy your new roommate… No funny business.”

 ***

The professor and the skipper moved about in their shared home arranging their possessions and getting a feel for their new environment. Callie hadn’t said much since they’d entered the hut, she seemed lost in her thoughts.

“Hey,” Arizona said tentatively. “If you aren’t comfortable with this, I’m sure it’s not too late for me to get Cristina or Addison to switch places with me.”

“What? No, no… absolutely not,” Callie denied. “I’m just… I’m a little nervous.”

“About living with me?” Arizona asked. “Or, do _I_ make you nervous?”

“You make me feel lots of things, Professor Robbins, nervous is but one.”

“Do you want me to…”she pointed to the door asking if Callie wanted her to leave.  Callie was seated on some of the many cushions brought over from the Minnow.

“No. I want you sit here with me,” Callie patted the cushion next to her. “We’ll work through my nerves together.”

“Okay…,” Arizona took her place next to the brunette, “what about me makes you nervous?”

“Your eyes and… your hair.”

“My hair makes you nervous?”

“Shush… I’m not finished. I was listing,” Callie chided.  “Now where was I? Hmm, oh! Your smile, your dimples… your _brain_. God, you are so smart. Just…” Callie went silent for a moment while she collected her feelings. Arizona tilted her head and just took the moment to observe the beautiful woman in front of her. Her eyes roamed the flawless face, memorizing every dip and curve… eyes, nose, and perfect lips, as she silently waited for her to finish her thought.

“Everything about you gives me butterflies,” Callie finally said.

Arizona smiled at Callie’s confession, “so… good nervous?” At Callie’s affirmative nod, she replied, “I can work with that.”

“You are a new experience for me.”

“Oh, uh… I thought you and Erica were…”

“Not that kind of new experience! Don’t you worry about that… I know what I’m doing. I’m quite confident your mind will be blown. It’s just… I’ve never felt so completely at ease and yet, so off-balance with a person at the same time before.”

“You’ve kind of thrown me for a loop too, you know?” Arizona said. “You make me just as nervous, and I have no idea why.”

“It’s because I’m so hot, isn’t it?” Callie joked.

“I’m not going to lie, Callie, you are very beautiful. So, so beautiful, but that’s not what has me nervous.”

“What…”

“It’s not how you look, it’s… how you make me feel,” Arizona admitted. “You give me butterflies too. And no one has given me butterflies for a very, very long time.”

“So basically … we make each other nauseous,” Callie joked and they shared a laugh.

Callie suddenly felt the need to change the course of the conversation, she sighed and looked around, “It’s coming together pretty nicely in here. It was sweet of them finish it up while we were gone today, they must have worked pretty hard.”

“Yeah, they did a great job,” Arizona said. “Are you sure you are fine with me living here?” she asked, wanting to make sure, once and for all, that Callie was okay with the new living arrangement.

“Do not ask me that again, okay? Of course I’m fine with it, I’m over the moon about it.”

“Okay, okay… I’ll drop it.”

Callie rummaged around in her stuff, “I’m going to go out and brush my teeth… maybe get a drink… do you want some water or anything?”

“I’ll come with, if that’s alright? I want to clean up a bit more, I still feel like I have ash in my hair.”

“Sure, it sounds like everyone went to bed anyway.”

Arizona went to her side of the hut and grabbed a change of clothes, while Callie got some towels and her toothbrush. Arizona held up the flashlight, letting Callie know it was okay to extinguish the homemade coconut oil lantern that lit the interior of their hut.

They stepped out into clearing to find that everyone else had, indeed, retired to their huts for the night. They made their way across the clearing, in the direction of the fresh water spring, they slowed as the passed the hut that Owen and Alex lived in. A distinct moan could be heard from behind the thin grassy walls.

Callie and Arizona looked at each other, neither said a word as the started to walk again. Another groan, louder this time, emanated from the hut, stopping the two woman in their tracks.

“Did we know Alex and Owen were a couple?” Arizona whispered.

“What? No, no it’s… I recognize those sex noises… I know them well.”

“What?”

“I mean, those are Cristina’s sex noises. I’m sure of it.”

“Wait… I thought,” Arizona shook her head, “I thought Erica was your first… You and Cristina?”

“What? We were roommates at Stanford, remember?”

“And… what you just… had like a friends with benefits type thing, or…”

“Thin walls, Arizona. Thin walls,” Callie laughed. “Cristina and I never, ever. Just… no.”

“Oh, thank God,” Arizona sighed. “You scared me. I… I suddenly wanted to hit Cristina with a coconut.”

“For someone so smart, you sure can be dumb,” Callie laughed. “Cristina is not… she’s just… she screws boys like…”

“Can you two shut up out there?” Cristina yelled from the inside the hut. “I’m trying to have sex in here and you two yammering about me having sex is distracting. I’m not a lady lover, Professor, move on. Save your coconuts for when you eventually meet Mark Sloan. Trust me, you’ll need them.”

Arizona’s eyes were wide with shock, she had her hand over her mouth trying to suppress a laugh. Callie was nowhere near as successful as she laughed out loud, “Sorry, Yang…. We’ll move along.” Callie grabbed Arizona’s arm and pulled her along behind her as they made their way toward their old hut, the one, until this very night, they had shared with Cristina, April, and Addison. Before they completely left the clearing area, they stopped and grabbed one of the extinguished torches to use for light once they reached the spring, which was located just behind their former abode.

They arrived at the spring and Callie wedged the torch in the ground and set it ablaze, while Arizona finally let her laughter go.

“Oh my… I am so embarrassed,” She said when her giggles subsided. “I can’t believe that just happened.”

“Um… what _was_ that?”

“Cristina hearing us, hear her, having sex with Owen. Wait, are we sure it was Owen? Maybe it was Alex?”

“I’m sure it was Owen… Alex seems like he’d be more of a grunter than a groaner,” Callie pointed out.

“Gross, Calliope. That’s… why would you say that? Now every time I look at Owen and Alex I’ll think about grunting and groaning. We have to have meals with these people.”

 “You’ll survive,” Callie said, “but that’s not what I was talking about. What was with you thinking Cristina and I… were… were you jealous?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, I don’t get jealous. I mean, we’ve barely even… you know? I, uh… I… Oh, hell,” Arizona released her breath in frustration. “I was _really_ jealous. I don’t know where that came from, Callie. I swear… I don’t know how to… just… you make me so…”

“Speechless apparently.”

“Yeah, speechless. Completely unable to form coherent sentences because I’m so taken with you. And jealous, apparently.”

“Well, I know something we can do that doesn’t involve you needing to talk,” Callie said suggestively. “As a matter of fact, your mouth will be otherwise engaged and talking will be near impossible.”

“Really?” Arizona asked. “And what might that be?”

Callie held up her toothbrush.

“Oh, you think you are funny, huh?” Arizona teased.

“I’ll have you know there is nothing funny about good dental hygiene. I take it very seriously.”

They took their time at the spring cleaning up more thoroughly than their hasty wash down after their return from the volcano. With just the two of them there it was more comfortable and Arizona sighed in delight as Callie washed her hair for her. The exhaustion from the day started to take hold as Callie’s fingers worked her scalp and lathered her shoulder length blond locks.

“Are you going to fall asleep on me,” Callie whispered into professor’s ear.

“Hmm,” Arizona moaned, her eyes never opening. “Maybe. That feels amazing.”

“Almost done,” Callie replied, “then we can go back and you can sleep.”

“I want to do you first,” Arizona replied, hers eyes still closed. Callie’s fingers stopped their massage at the words. Arizona finally realized how her words sounded and promptly corrected. “I mean, I want to wash your hair. Before we go back, I want to return the favor.”

“Oh, of course,” Callie replied, “but we are almost out of shampoo.”

“I’ve been saving ash to make some lye,” Arizona peeked an eye open as Callie gently rinsed her hair. “I’ll make us some soap and shampoo. Cristina will help, its simple chemistry.”

“She did manage to make us some wine, I’m sure the two of you together can make some shampoo.”

When Callie was finished rinsing Arizona’s hair, the professor did indeed return the favor. As she washed Callie’s long luxurious hair, she couldn’t take her eyes of the woman’s face. Her eyes closed and expression lax, she was totally at peace. Arizona liked that Callie could be this comfortable and relaxed with her, that she could cause that simply by running her hands through Callie’s hair. She couldn’t stop herself from leaning forward to place a sweet innocent kiss on the tired ship captain’s cheek.

“Wake up, pretty lady. I need to rinse… and we should head back.”

“I wasn’t sleeping.”

“So the snore was intentional?”

Callie’s eyes popped open and looked up into the mischievous blue one gazing back. “I didn’t.”

“You didn’t. But we are both exhausted we should had back.”

They quickly rinsed Callie’s hair, gathered their stuff and headed back to the clearing. They were so exhausted that Callie almost entered their old hut, but Arizona steered her in the right direction.

Arizona opened the door for Callie and then extinguished their torch before entering their home herself. She helped Callie brush the tangles from her hair before exhaustion from the day took over and they laid down to rest, both on their sides facing each other, not too close, but not far either. Sleep came almost immediately.

***

They had moved closer to each other during the night and were now comfortably snuggled together, Callie being the big spoon. The comfort and quiet didn’t last long as they were they were suddenly pulled from their slumber by yelling outside their door. With no time to question, or enjoy, their current position they were up and out the door in a flash.

Upon exiting their hut they were confronted with all the castaways running about looking to the sky.

“What’s happening?” Callie asked. “Cristina… what?”

“Be quiet and listen,” Cristina yelled. “Do you hear that?”

“I don’t hear anything,” Addison said.

“Because you won’t shut up long enough,” Alex snapped. “Stop talking.”

Everyone went silent. The only sound they made was their excited breathing. At first there was nothing, but then, suddenly, a far off humming could be heard. It was sporadic and faint, but definitely there.

“What is it?” Derek asked.

“It’s a helicopter,” Owen answered. “I’m sure of it.”

 


	14. Chapter 14

Henry and Lexie scanned the early morning horizon as they made their way to the coordinates where the sulfur smell had been detected the previous day. It was a long haul in the chopper as the ship had traversed quite a distance in the calm seas overnight.  Since Teddy and Henry shared news of the rotten egg smell in the air, Lexie insisted they go back and investigate. She was sure there was a volcanic island or something they had missed that was causing the odor.

“We’ve arrived at the coordinates,” Henry informed Lexie through their headsets. “The smell was pretty prominent yesterday, but I’m not really detecting much now.”

Lexie didn’t respond right away, she swiveled her head back and forth looking for something… anything to give an indication of an island. “There,” she pointed out the helicopter window toward the south.

Henry craned his neck to see what Lexie was pointing at, “I don’t see anything.”

“Look harder,” Lexie insisted, “right there, on the skyline… it’s a cloud… or something.”

“I see it.” Henry turned the chopper to get a better look at the ominous looking cloud.

“Well what are you waiting for, let’s go see what it is,” Lexie insisted.

“That could be any number of natural phenomenon, Lexie. Some of which can be dangerous.” Henry replied. “I don’t think we should fly into it…”

“Please,” Lexie interrupted the cautious pilot’s refusal, “I need to see for myself.”

“Okay, Okay… you guys are paying the bills here. I work for you,” Henry smiled as he moved the control wheel to change the course of the chopper. “Let’s go check out that wall of mist.”

“Thank you so much, Henry!” Lexie exclaimed. “I would hug you if there were room in here.”

“I’ll take a rain check on the hug,” Henry replied. “Save it for solid ground, or at least solid ship deck.”

“Who knows, if my island speculation is correct… it may be solid ground I’m hugging you on.”

“For your sake, I hope so,” Henry said. He glanced over at Lexie, her grin was wide, undeniable hope written all over her face. He hated squash her optimism, “But the first sign of trouble, we’re bugging out. We’ve gone pretty far from the ship this morning, we need to have enough fuel to get back.”

***

“Oh my goodness, that’s a helicopter?!” April excitedly asked. “We’re being rescued?”

“It sounds pretty far off,” Derek said.

“It’s a clear day… it could be as far as five or more miles away and we’d be able to hear it,” Arizona said. “Still, it’s very faint.”

“Okay… Let’s say it is a chopper, what are they looking for? Where would they be headed?” Callie asked.

“Maybe the volcano?” Meredith ventured.

“We should go there,” April suggested. “So they can see us!”

“It will be hard to land a chopper over there,” Owen replied “Visibility is poor. It wouldn’t be the best place for a helicopter.”

“Where would be a good spot for one to land?” Addison asked.

“North beach, maybe?” Callie guessed.

“The cliffs,” Alex said. “It’s really flat across the top.”

“How about we split up?” Arizona suggested.

“I’ll head to the volcano, even though it’s not ideal for landing, they still may investigate it,” Owen said. “I know the terrain and can make good time alone.”

“No, no one goes alone, we should at least pair up.” Arizona insisted.

“I’ll go with him,” Derek said. “I can move fast.”

The two men went to grab some supplies before heading off toward the volcano.

“Alex you should head toward the cliffs, you know that area and it isn’t far. Your leg should…” Arizona was taking charge, giving orders.

“My leg is fine, don’t you worry about my leg,” Alex replied. “Who’s going to be my buddy for this trip? April…”

“No,” Addison adamantly declared. “I’ll go with you. Alone. April, you go with the others.”

“Okay…” April looked confused at Addison’s outburst, but didn’t question her new friend’s request.

“Whatever,” Alex growled. “Let’s go, Ginger, we don’t want to miss our ride.” Those two headed off to their hut to change into travel clothes and grab some supplies.

“So that leaves the rest of us to head for the north beach?” Cristina asked. “That’s a lot of girl power.”

“Looks that way,” Callie said.

“What about the far east beach?” Meredith asked? “Shouldn’t we check there?”

“Let’s all head north together,” Arizona replied. “Then you and Yang can split off, make your way over there. It’s too hard to get through the swamp otherwise.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Cristina agreed.

The various groups quickly dressed and grabbed needed supplies for a day away from the base camp. The light hum of the helicopter could still be heard in the distance.

***

The five women were quickly making their way north. Their fast pace, however, was doing nothing to stifle conversation.

“So, uh… Yang,” Callie ventured “You and Owen, huh?”

“What of it?”

“Nothing! Nothing, I’m happy for you,” Callie smiled. “You sounded like you were having fun…”

“Callie!” Arizona admonished. “That’s not… you shouldn’t…”

“What? Point out that we heard them having sex last night?” Callie laughed.

“Whatever, I don’t care,” Cristina said. “It’s not like everyone thought we were in there playing checkers, or braiding each other’s hair like you two prudes.”

“Hey! I am not a prude,” Arizona defended. “And we weren’t braiding each other’s hair… we just washed and… and… brushed each other’s….” She trailed-off, her shoulder’s slumped defeated.

“I think it’s sweet that you guys are waiting,” April said. “Sex is a very important step in a relationship. It’s not to be taken lightly. You don’t want to rush into a sexual…”

“Kepner,” Callie said. “Get out of my vagina.”

“Oh, uh… okay,” April said. Her face twisted in thought, “But it’s okay for you to be in Cristina’s vagina?”

“She has a point, Skipper,” Cristina said. “You were being all up in my vagina, it’s only fair you allow me access to yours.”

“Again, I say… Hey!” Arizona yelled. She was completely ignored by Callie and Cristina.

“Yes, Cristina, but when you talk about my vagina in this situation, you are also talking about Arizona’s by default,” Callie defended. “She’s an innocent bystander. Her vagina is off-limits to you.”

“Damn, I bet her vagina has some nice stories,” Cristina sighed. “We know Kepner’s vagina isn’t getting any, so there’s no point talking about hers. And Meredith has a boring old married vagina…”

“Can we just… not talk about our vaginas?” Arizona asked.  “I think we should concentrate on…” Before she could finish her sentence she was interrupted my Meredith.

“I think my boring old married vagina has news,” Meredith blurted. “I mean… not my vagina, my uterus… my hostile uterus may not be so hostile after all.”

“You’re pregnant?” April shouted. “That’s what you and Addison were talking about yesterday? That’s why you have to stop with the mango wine!?”

“Mer, are you sure?” Cristina’s sardonic tone from before softened. She stopped walking and grabbed Meredith’s arm. “Are you okay?”

“I am if we find this helicopter, and if we don’t… I guess we’ll see.”

“Does Derek know?” Arizona asked.

“No, just Addison, she’s the one that guessed, and now you guys. I hadn’t even thought about the possibility. If this isn’t a rescue, what are we going to do?”

“We’ll deal with it, right?” Callie said. “We’ll all help. Women have babies all the time without the help of modern medicine. Plus, you’re a doctor, and so is the daddy. It’ll be fine. _You’ll_ be fine. Besides… do you hear that?” She pointed to the sky, “The helicopter sounds closer.”

“Right, right… you are absolutely correct. This is a good thing… I can do this,” Meredith nodded to herself. “I’ve wanted a baby for a long time now, I’m not going to let the fact that I’m shipwrecked on a deserted island ruin this experience for me.”

“That’s the spirit!” Arizona said, as she patted Meredith on the back.

“Cristina,” Meredith warned. “You might want to stop having sex with Owen, though… I think this place is fertile ground, and I know you don’t want a baby.”

“Meredith, please. I am a Stanford educated woman who doesn’t want children, yet enjoys sex. Do you really think I haven’t taken long term precautions to prevent unwanted pregnancies? There will be no accidental pregnancies happening to _this_ Cristina Yang. The island fertility gods will bestow their bounty upon Virgin Mary,” she pointed to April, then Callie and Arizona, “or the lady lovers before it ever reaches me.”

“Or maybe Addison,” Callie laughed. “There has to be a reason she was so adamant about going alone with Alex to the cliffs…”

“What?” April asked. She looked a put-off by the suggestion. “Do you really think so? That’s… I don’t think…”

“Aw, poor Apes,” Cristina said. “Are you jealous? Who did you have your sights set on? Alex or Addison?”

“What? Neither… he’s an ass and she’s a… she. I’m not… gay. Not that there’s anything…”

“Don’t worry about it, Kepner, no one is offended if you aren’t gay,” Arizona said.

“You don’t have to be, though,” Callie said. “It’s a sliding scale, maybe you should slide Addison’s way?”

“Or not,” Arizona replied. “We don’t even know Addison’s way. It’s okay if you like Alex, he’s nice underneath all of the grump. Is he what you want?”

“I think I just want to circle this conversation away from my vagina and back to yours and Callie’s”

“Damn, Kepner,” Cristina said. “Get out of Callie’s vagina!”

***

Making their way toward the cliffs, Alex was mostly silent, but Addison couldn’t stop talking about everything she was going to do when they were rescued. Spa’s and waxes and massages... Meet with her agent about getting someone to write a screenplay for a movie of their story, staring her as herself of course, and so on and so on. She was suggesting many hot ‘A-list’ actors to play each of them, she was currently stuck on who would play Alex’s character. “We will need to get someone with a gruff exterior, hot… but not too hot. You know what I mean?”

Alex had finally reached his breaking point. Just as they stepped through tree line and onto the hard rocky surface that made up the cliffs, he stopped in his tracks and turned to face the rambling actress. He had been walking a few steps ahead of her, but he she was so involved in her one sided conversation that she wasn’t aware he was at a standstill and walked directly into him.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Alex,” she said as he took a step back from him. “I didn’t notice you stopped walking. Is something wrong? Is your leg hurting?”

“No, it’s not my leg,” he sighed. He fidgeted nervously.

“Okaay?” Addison drawled. “Then what is it?

“Screw it,” he uttered. He grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her face to his and awkwardly smashed their lips together. The kiss only lasted a few seconds before Addison pushed him away.

“What the hell, Alex?” She screeched as she wiped her lips to remove residual Alex spittle. “Why… why… what?”

“I’m sorry,” he adamantly apologized. “I thought… I thought that’s what you wanted? I guess… I read the situation wrong. I’m sorry.”

“What about this situation could have possibly suggested I wanted your tongue in my mouth?”

“Uh… I don’t know. You were just so adamant about coming with me, alone, and I thought maybe you wanted…”

“To talk to you,” Addison sighed. “I wanted to talk to you. About April.”

“Oh?” He questioned. “What about her?”

“It’s just, I’ve notice some looks. From the both of you… directed at each other,” she explained, “and I think you like each other.”

Alex looked like he was ready to bolt, but he stood there and allowed Addison to continue.

“I don’t want anyone getting hurt. You understand? April is a delicate flower…”

“Oh, please. Spare me. April is not a ‘delicate flower’, you guys just don’t give her enough credit,” he argued. “Or me, for that matter, did you…. What? Think I would force myself on her?”

“No, no, Alex, nothing like that. I just… I feel protective over her.”

“Well, you don’t need to protect her from me,” he said. “I can promise you that.”

“Thank you… for understanding,” Addison pulled Alex into an awkward hug and when they pulled apart the weirdness between the dissipated. “I swear I didn’t mean to imply your intentions were anything but honorable.”

“Now you’re overcompensating. I’m not a freaking saint.”

“Yeah, saints don’t kiss like that.”

“You liked that, did ya?”

“Maybe, but your heart wasn’t in it,” Addison replied. “And neither was mine.”

The resumed their course toward the cliffs, but they didn’t rush. They had both come to the conclusion that the chopper was likely not headed to their location. They could no longer hear its hum, and hadn’t for a while.

***

Owen and Derek jogged around the northern base of the volcano. It was a little further distance wise, but the easier terrain made the journey faster.

They stopped to grab a quick drink of water and rest before continuing on towards the west beach. They both sat hard on the ground trying to catch their breath.

“Do you think there is a shot of us being rescued?” Derek asked between heavy pants.

“It’s possible,” Owen replied, “but with the way our instruments all react on this island… If a helicopter comes close, it seems more likely we’ll have some permanent company, than a way off.”

“Dammit.” Derek exclaimed. “I was hoping you weren’t going to say that.”

“I wish I believed different,” Owen admitted. He shook his head and took a gulp of his water.

***

Callie, Arizona, and April picked up their pace after the other two women departed to head toward the east beach. They were making record time and were about to pass the makeshift storage hut at the edge of the foliage. The hut was thrown together quickly to protect some of the belongings from the Minnow. Ones that had yet to make the trip to the base camp in the clearing.

The helicopter engine was louder than ever, which made them run even faster toward the open beach. They burst through the tree line and quickly made their way across the sand.

“It’s close,” Arizona yelled. “Do you hear it?”

“Yeah, I hear it, it sounds like it’s just beyond the mist,” Callie said.

“I can’t believe it! We are going to be rescued!” April yelled. Her face was filled with glee.

Callie couldn’t contain her joy either. She grabbed Arizona and hugged her tight. When they moved apart Callie pulled Arizona into a passionate kiss. So passionate, that April’s blush matched her hair. She turned away to give them some privacy. When Callie finally withdrew from the kiss, her radiant smile practically broke her face.  “I am _so_ freaking happy right now!”

“Me too, Calliope, me too.”

***

“We’re getting closer,” Lexie exclaimed. “It looks like a giant cloud is just lying on the ocean. Have you ever seen anything like this before?”

“I really haven’t,” Henry answered. “And I’ve flown a lot of missions over the open ocean.”

“Is this something Avery Aviation does often?”

“No, not at all… or actually, not that I’m aware of,” Henry said. “I just started working there. I was in the Navy. I flew a chopper from an amphibious assault ship, a helicopter carrier, for years.”

“So… you’re retired?” Lexie asked.

“From the Navy, yes… from working? Not at all. I’m looking to settle down… maybe start a family. I didn’t want to subject them to me being deployed for months at a time.”

“That’s nice,” Lexie replied. “You know… Teddy is single.”

“That is certainly some nice information to have. Thank you Ms. Grey.” Henry said. The chopper was just heading into the mist. Henry looked to his control panel to guide him, as visibility was nil.

“You’re welc... whoa!” Lexie shouted as the helicopter started to stutter and shake. “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know, the instruments are going crazy!” Henry yelled. “Hang on. I think…. I think we’re going to stall!”

 


	15. Chapter 15

Lexie’s life flashed before her eyes. Her idyllic childhood, the awkward pre-teen and teen years, breezing through college and med school as a result of her eidetic memory, meeting her half-sister for the first time just over a year ago as an intern at her hospital. The very sister she was out here trying to find. They’d barely formed a relationship, and now, as the helicopter spun out of control, all she could think about was if Meredith would be disappointed in her for dying. For dying before she was able to find her and save her, because she still, even in these few short crazy seconds that her life was flashing by, had no doubt that her sister was alive. Alive and waiting for her.

She looked over at Henry as he fought with the cycle stick to keep them from plummeting into the ocean below. He seemed calm and in control, but she was having a panic attack. Lexie knew it was happening, but was powerless to stop it. She felt light-headed. She could vaguely hear Henry radioing for help, but his voice seemed so, so far way.

“Breathe, you have to breathe,” Henry turned and yelled toward Lexie, everything seemed to be in slow motion.

Lexie blinked her eyes, trying to focus on Henry. She couldn’t comprehend what he was saying, “If we go down, I need you not to panic. Lexie!” She shook her head to clear it… now he looked far away, like he was at the end of a really long tunnel. He sounded like he was talking to her from inside a bubble. She looked back out the opposite window and thought she saw a flash of green, her eyes widened in recognition, but the chopper spun again, and her she lost sight of island. Another spin and her stomach lurched and her throat felt full.

“Mayday, mayday…” was the last thing she heard before everything went black.

***

Callie, Arizona, and April stood silent on the beach. Their hearts beat rapidly as they listened to the helicopter’s piston engine struggle to stayoperating.  

“What’s happening,” April asked. “Are they crashing?”

In the distance, just beyond the mist… the helicopter engine was unmistakably failing. Callie stared into the wall of condensed water vapor, trying her best to make out the vacillating chopper. The fog was too thick, nothing could be seen. The chopper engine sputtered and almost faltered before suddenly righting itself and returning to a strong, evenwhirr. The sound of the remedied engine could be heard loud and clear… for a moment, just a moment, before its obvious retreat made itself known.

“No, no, no… come back!” Callie yelled. “Please come back.” Her plea was futile as the sound of the chopper could be heard fading into the distance. She picked up a loose rock from the beach and flung it into the ocean in frustration.

“Dammit,” Arizona swore, “It’s the island. They can’t get close…” She trailed off for a few seconds, then looked as though she was having an epiphany, a sudden realization of their fate. “They’ll never be able to get close. No one will ever be able to get close.”

“Why?” April screeched. “Why? What is wrong with this island?”

Arizona started to form a reply, but when she looked in April’s direction she realized the question wasn’t directed at her. April was looking to the sky, screaming her madness to the heavens.

“I’ve done everything right… my whole life! I’ve followed the rules, your rules…” she pointed to the sky, “my parents’ rules… and… and what? I’m just going to die a virgin on a deserted island? That’s your big plan for me?”

“April, it’s okay… we’ll find a way,” Arizona tried to sooth the angry young woman. Callie stood silently to the side, breathing heavy, fighting her own disappointment at the chopper leaving.

“Whuh? We’ll find a way?” April scrunched her face in confusion. “A way to what? Leave? How are we going to do that? Grow wings and fly ourselves out? We can’t get past the current. Isn’t that what Owen said… and you two proved with the raft? Several times, I might add!”

“We will figure it out,” Arizona said again.

“She’s right, you know,” Callie sighed. Arizona and April turned to look the brunette, who’d been silent thus far.

“Thank you,” Arizona started.

“No… not you. April. April is right,” Callie corrected. “This place is… possessed. Or… or… haunted.”

“Calliope, it’s an island. It’s not haunted. There is just… something strange happening,” she paused a moment, “something we haven’t figured out yet. It’s most likely a natural phenomenon causing some sort of electromagnetic interference. It doesn’t matter what it is, though. We’ll find it. We’ll fix it. _I’ll_ find it. I promise.”

“Good, because it’s awful, it’s tense and it’s creepy and it’s dangerous... It’s making us crazy. It’s making _me_ crazy... I was about to talk about bears with knives and minefields… and conspiracies theories about failed government experiments… I’ve clearly lost it. So has Kepner.” She pointed at the redhead who just nodded in agreement. “I am counting on you Professor… We’re all counting on you.” 

“I guarantee you both, it’s neither bears-with-knives nor God’s plan. There is a logical explanation, and I’ll find it.”

“Okay,” Callie sighed. She looked directly into Arizona’s sapphire eyes and saw nothing but honesty and determination. “I trust you.”

“I noticed you didn’t rule out a government conspiracy, though,” April added. Callie looked back at Arizona expectantly.

“Look, so far we’ve been concentrating on survival,” Arizona glanced back and forth between Callie and April. “Food, shelter, and basic comforts… the volcano. That’s all we’ve had time to think about. Now that we are settled…” Arizona stopped talking because April had her hand raised. “Um, do you have a question?”

“More of a comment, really,” April said. “I just wanted to point out that we’ve also had time for you and the Skipper and Owen and Cristina to start dating.”

“I’m not sure I’d call what Yang and Hunt were doing _dating_ ,” Callie finger quoted the word.

“What would _you_ classify it as?” April asked the brunette.

“I would call it fu—“

“Calliope!” Arizona admonished. “Really? This is what you two want to discuss now?”

“No, you are right, I’m sorry Professor Robbins,” a duly chastised April responded. “You were saying?”

“I was saying… that now that we have a routine, we can start trying to solve the island’s riddles. We’ll have time to devote to investigation. We’ve only been here two and half months. If we can’t be rescued… If no one can come and save us, we save ourselves. Right? It may take us months or even years, but we’ll…”

“But we don’t have years, do we? If Meredith is pregnant,” Callie sighed, “I know what I said to her back there, but how safe is it for her to have a baby on this island? Especially with her… what did she call it? Hostile uterus? What if there are complications?”

“You are right, I think we need to set a goal for ourselves, to get off this island before she delivers,” Arizona agreed. “Maybe we should just keep this between us three, for now. Put on a brave show, so as not to stress the Shepherds, but we double our efforts to get us off this island.”

“Keep what between us?” April asked. “Do you mean… what happened with the helicopter?”

“That’s exactly what I mean,” Arizona said.

“Yeah,” Callie agreed. “We don’t want to take away their hope of being rescued. You and I both had a mental moment when we realized there would… _could be_ no rescue. We can’t take away everyone’s hope.”

“So what do we tell them happened here today?” April stammered. “I’m a terrible liar.”

“You don’t need to lie. The chopper came and went without us ever catching a glimpse of it,” Arizona said. “We don’t know what really happened out there. They could have just been low on fuel and had to return wherever they came from.”

“Wait a minute… that’s right! That chopper _had_ to have come from somewhere. There has to be a ship or something close!” Callie exclaimed. “Did we even bring the radio?” She looked at Arizona, who looked sheepish, then to April who was shaking her head ‘no.’ “Dammit. We have to go back and get it. We have to run.”

“What good is it if we can’t call out, though,” April asked as the other two had already started back across the beach toward the tree line.

“If we couldn’t contact them, we could have at least listened in on their radio chatter.” Arizona answered the trailing redhead. “We would know who they are, and why they are here.”

As soon as they were past the sandy part of the beach and into the trees Callie started to run. If she paced herself she could make the run back to the camp with ease.

“Callie, Callie wait up,” Arizona shouted. “Slow down. STOP.”

“No, Arizona. I need to get the radio,” Callie protested, but she did stop running. She turned to face the blonde, “I’m so stupid… why didn’t I bring it? I should have thought of it.”

“None of us thought of it. Don’t beat yourself up. It hasn’t so much as squeaked since we heard the coast guard call off the search. The radio hasn’t been on our minds.”

“Yeah well, I shouldn’t have let that happen. We’ve been too distracted. Treating this like a vacation… going on dates.” Callie ignored the look of hurt on the blonde’s face. “ _I’m the Captain_. You all are my responsibility… I let you down. It won’t happen again.” She turned and took off into the jungle leaving the stunned professor and her assistant behind.

The path they’d formed between the storage hut and the clearing over the months eased her travel, but Callie’s thoughts weighed heavy, slowing her down. She was admonishing herself for not only forgetting the radio, but for not trying harder to get them off of the island. She didn’t mean to hurt Arizona, but she had been distracted by her… consumed by her. She needed to take a step back, concentrate on getting them to safety. This helicopter incident and Meredith’s possible pregnancy was a wakeup call. This wasn’t a holiday, they weren’t at some fancy resort, and she needed to stop acting like it was. This was life and death, and it was her fault they were here. She would be the one to fix it.

***

Owen and Derek had made it almost all the way to the west beach when they noticed the complete absence of engine noise from the helicopter. Correctly assuming theyit had left the area, they decideddecide to return to camp. Their route back was taking them slightly north of the way they had come that morning. Though both were disappointed at the missed opportunity, they kept the conversation light. Not wanting to dwell on what could have been.

After a while the conversation stalled all together and they traveled in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Owen couldn’t keep his mind from Cristina and what happened the previous night. He’d never met anyone like her before, she was so unpredictable, and he found he liked that about her. She was different than any of women with whom he’d had previous relationships. He thought of her forwardness and it brought a smile to his face. This goofy smile was on his face as he took a careless step onto what looked like a pile of brush and tree roots and fell into a hole in the ground.

Derek,following behind Owen by about ten yards, was lost in his own thoughts. Disappointment over the chopper was certainly tops, but also… Meredith had been acting weird the night before, and he couldn’t quite figure out why. Perhaps she was jealous of the newly forming relationship between Cristina and Hunt, actually, he was sure she was, but something told him it was more than that.

A crack of branches ahead of him pulled him out of his musings. He looked up to where Owen had just been and saw nothing. Owen was gone. Nowhere in sight.Disappeared. The only evidence he’d been there was a small poof of dust that sparkled though the few sunrays that penetrated the thick jungle floor.

“Huh.”

***

Lexie opened her eyes to a clear blue sky and the smell of ocean air. She smiled, happy to be alive and…

“Hey, you’re awake,” Teddy said.

Lexie sat up from where she had been lying flat on her back on the deck of the _Seattle Grace_ _._ She looked around and spotted the intact helicopter sitting where it always does. Mark was yelling at Henry, who looked to be defending himself well.

“What happened?” Lexie frantically asked. “We didn’t crash? Where is the island?”

“Slow down, one thing at a time,” Teddy was pushing her sleeve up to apply a blood pressure cuff. “Let me take your vitals.”

“Wait… you’re a doctor?”

“I am,” she replied as she pumped up the cuff, applied her stethoscope, then released its pressure. “A cardiothoracic surgeon, to be exact. Pressure’s normal.”

“What is it?”

“117/72. That’s good for someone who’s recently fainted,” Teddy answered.

“I fainted? Huh… I thought we crashed.”

“Right…” Teddy drawled, “Onto this island you’ve been mumbling about?”

“Yes.”

“Henry says there was no island.”

“Henry is wrong.” Lexie stated. “I saw it as we spun out of control.”

“Henry says the chopper had a little engine trouble and you guys had to turn back. You panicked and hyperventilated, causing you to pass-out.”

“A little engine trouble? That’s what he said? He’s underplaying it. We were going down.”

“Perhaps. Your boyfriend over there _was_ giving it to him a pretty hard.” Teddy pointed to where Mark was still gesturing wildly at Henry and the chopper and then back at Lexie.

“I did panic… and I probably did hyperventilate causing my syncope, but I swear I saw an island. I wasn’t hallucinating. And Mark’s not my boyfriend.”

“Henry says…” Teddy repeated, once more, Henry’s version of events. The version that didn’t include an island.

Lexie rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration. She flopped backward, so that she was again lying flat on her back on the deck of the ship, watching the clouds roll by above her.

She was now more determined than ever.


	16. Chapter 16

Callie burst through the tree line to find Alex and Addison had also realized no one thought to use the radio. They were currently fighting over it, pulling it back and forth between them in a tug-of-war.

“Give it to me, you don’t know what you are doing,” Alex growled.

“What? Why? Because I’m a woman?”

“NO! Because you’re an actress…”

“And? That makes me stupid?”

“And… I’m a flight officer- trained in communications. We aren’t trying to find celebrity gossip. Do you even know what frequency to use?”

Addison reluctantly handed the radio to Alex just as Callie joined them. She was hunched over, out of breath from her sprint from the beach. “You…” she sucked in a breath, “two…” another breath, “try the emergency channel?” 

“Not yet, we just got here and Alex was being an ass.” Addison looked the red faced Captain up and down, “Are you okay?” she asked.

“Not even remotely,” Callie replied her breath finally returning. “Scan the maritime channels, Karev. The chopper couldn’t be in the middle of the ocean by itself. There has to be something out there.”

“On it.”

***

Moving through the jungle at a slower pace were April and Arizona. The professor had been quiet since Callie’s freak-out and push back against their growing… friendship? Relationship?

“I’m sorry, Professor Robbins,” April said.

“What are you apologizing for?”

“I think I might have put a damper on you and the Skipper… I should have just kept my mouth shut about the dating stuff.”

“No, don’t worry about it, April. She’s wrong. Callie _is wrong_. There is time for finding a solution _and_ for us. Something I’ve learned about her over these few months is that she feels responsible for us being here and it bothers her a lot, but I also know that she likes me… and I like her. Her panic is just that, a panic. Besides… no one can resist me for long.”

“You certainly won me over,” April said, as they continued to walk along the path through dense wooded area of the island.

“How so?”

“I was terrified to take that research position with you. I’d never been so far away from the farm… but you were so nice, and friendly… and not at all intimidating.”

“Hey, now… I’m tough! I can be intimidating!”

“Oh, I found that out after working with you for a while… some of your students called you the ‘horror show’.”

“What? I… I had no idea…” Arizona’s face scrunched. “Which students? Gimme names, I’m making a list. I’ll show them a ‘horror show’ when we get home. Now I _really_ have some motivation to get off this island!” She joked.

The two women laughed and slowly made their way back to camp.

***

“Uh… Owen?” Derek shouted. He made his way to the last place he saw the man before he disappeared. “Hello?”

“Down here.” A muffled shout from behind the underbrush. “In a hole… a really big hole.”

“Alright, I’m coming…”

“Be careful,” Owen shouted. “We don’t want to both end up in this… pit.”

When Derek arrive at the spot where Owen was engulfed, he laid flat on his stomach and looked over the edge. “Are you hurt? Anything broken?”

“No, I didn’t drop down… I slid. A few bruises, maybe some scrapes. Nothing major.”

“Do you think you can climb out?” Derek asked. “Should I get help?”

“I’ll try climbing out, but it looks like a pretty steep incline.” Owen tried several times to get up the side of the hole, but never made it past the halfway point of the roughly twenty and some odd foot slope. “It’s no use. We need rope.”

“Alright,” Derek dropped his extra bottle of water down to Owen. “Stay put, I’ll get help.”

***

Callie, Alex, and Addison listened to the radio intently… flipping through frequencies often. So far all they’d been able to hear was some indistinct chatter from a freighter ship.

April and Arizona emerged from the trees laughing. Callie looked up from her spot at the table and saw the smile on Arizona’s face. The smile that usually never failed to bring a smile to her own face, but not this time. This time it made her angry.

“Find anything?” Arizona asked as her and April took a seat at the table.

“Nada,” Alex replied. “A cargo ship making a course correction, nothing more.”

“That’s… unfortunate,” Arizona said. “Did you try the search and rescue channels?’

“Of course we did,” Callie fumed. “Do you think we are idiots? We were here doing that while you were giggling in the woods with the farm girl. Is this all some sort of joke to you?”

“Calliope,” Arizona warned. “I understand that you are disappointed, we all are, but this is NOT my fault. Don’t be angry with me.”

“You’re right… it’s not your fault,” Callie said through gritted teeth. “I know damn well whose fault this is…”

“No… I didn’t mean…” Arizona said. “There is no fault here, how many times do I have to say it?” She was starting to get a bit put out by Callie’s attitude.

April looked as though she wanted to disappear and Alex and Addison looked on with curiosity.

“What exactly is going on here,” Addison finally asked. “Are we fighting?”

“Yes,” Callie said.

“No,” Arizona replied at the same time. “We are not.”

“Maybe we should give you guys some privacy…” April started to say, but she was interrupted by Derek bursting through the trees and into the clearing. 

“I need help,” he said between breaths. “Owen…”

Everyone was immediately on their feet. A chorus of ‘what happened’ and ‘is he okay’ chimed from the group.

“He fell in a really big hole…” Derek answered. The others looked on in horror. “Don’t worry, he’s fine,” He added. He took a moment to drink some water and wipe the sweat from his brow. “I need some rope and a couple extra hands.”

“I’m on it,” Alex sat the radio down and headed toward the storage hut to grab some rope.

“We’ll come too,” Addison grabbed April’s hand and pulled her from her spot by the table.

“I’ll get the first aid kit,” Callie tried to go too, but Addison stopped her, placing her hand on troubled ship captain’s shoulder.

“Oh, no… you and the professor need to stay here and work out your problems,” Addison pointed to each of the women.

“What? No… Owen needs our help,” Callie weakly protested.

“Actually, Alex would probably be enough…” Derek said as he came out of his hut with the first aid kit.

“No, no… April and I are coming too. These two need some privacy. We don’t need dissention among us.” Addison again looked at the two women. “Whatever this is about, fix it,” she meant business. “ _Before_ we return.”

***

Owen walked around the perimeter of the hole he was in, he counted his steps in his head as he went. It was over grown with jungle plants and debris, but it was very distinctly a circle. It had a diameter of about 122 meters, he looked back up toward the edge where he’d slipped down. He estimated it was roughly two stories high, maybe three. In the middle was a large stone. Looking around and finding no other suitable places, he sat on the rock to await Derek’s return.

***

“There was an island! I swear!” Lexie shouted. “Henry, I saw it.” She looked from Henry to Teddy, then finally, “Mark… you believe me, don’t you?”

“Of course I do, Lexie. It’s just… Henry says…”

“Grrr,” Lexie growled in frustration.

“Even if there was,” Henry finally spoke up “And I’m not conceding that fact, we can’t go back. The coordinates are lost.”

“What do you mean?” Lexie asked.

“I mean every onboard computer we have… the memory has been wiped. It’s like we flew over a giant magnet.”

“But… you said you wrote them down…” Teddy said.

“I said ‘I’d take note,’ and I did... on the guidance system in the chopper. Unless… you remember,” He pointed at Lexie, “they are gone.”

“I never saw them…” the young woman replied. “Can’t we just… go back in that direction?”

Henry sighed, “Honestly, we barely made it back to the ship. I’m going to need to do a complete overhaul of the chopper’s systems before we can go out again. Could be days… or weeks before I feel safe taking someone out. I really think this is a dead end. Literally.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Henry.” Teddy scoffed. “ _Dead end. Literally_ ,” she mocked.

“I’m not being dramatic,” his voice calm and in control. “We almost didn’t make it back, Teddy. We could have died. I honestly believe going back in the chopper, even if we find that area again, could be… deadly.”

“So that’s it then?” Mark asked. “Search over? Because it sounds like by the time you get the chopper up and running safely again, we’ll be picking up our cargo in Africa. There is no way they could have gotten that far.”

“It can’t be over,” Lexie pleaded. “This isn’t the end.”

“I think… at some point we are going to have to face reality,” Teddy sighed. “Our friends are likely dead.”

Lexie got up and left the galley in anger. She couldn’t, no… wouldn’t accept that. Her sister was alive and she was on that island. One way or another, Lexie would prove it.

***

Callie sat there and fumed, silent since the others had left them alone, refusing to make eye contact with the blonde. She was irrationally angry and she knew it, but she wanted to hang onto the anger for just a little be longer. Anger was better than disappointment and guilt.

“Callie,” Arizona tried.

But the captain would have none of it, she got up from the table and went over to their shared hut. She calmly opened the door and went inside without looking back.

Arizona immediately followed, now she was getting mad.

“Calliope,” Arizona entered the hut to find Callie standing in the middle of the room her back to the door. “Talk to me. Please?”

Callie sighed and finally turned and looked at the woman waiting in the doorway. She still didn’t speak, afraid frustrated tears would come with the words. She really didn’t want to cry, she wanted to be angry.

“What do you want me to say, Arizona?” She finally blurted.

“I don’t know? Anything other than this… silent anger you have going.”

Callie just shook her head and scoffed.

“Did I do something?” Arizona asked, her voice timid.

“It’s not… it’s not anything you did,” Callie hesitantly admitted. “I mean… it’s kind of about what we’ve been doing… but, it’s more what we haven’t been doing.”

“So… let’s clear this up. Right here, right now,” Arizona stated. She moved further into the hut so that she was now standing directly in front of the brunette. “Snapping at me and being passive aggressive is not going to solve anything. If you have fears or concerns… about us… about what we are doing. Talk to me. Or… you know… fight with me.”

“You _want_ to fight with me?” Callie scoffed again.

“At least it will be communicating!” The usually calm professor yelled. “You can’t just make vague unilateral decisions about us and then shut down. That’s not fair.”

“Nothing about any of this is fair, Arizona. We are shipwrecked. Like seriously, we are castaways… on a freaking haunted island.”

“I’m going to ignore the haunted remark for now, because I think you know how I feel about that… but we can’t change those circumstances,” Arizona grabbed Callie’s hand and linked their fingers. “We talked about this. Just because we've been concentrating on survival, doesn’t mean we aren’t thinking of rescue… or getting off this island.”

“How hard were we thinking this morning when we all ran off without the radio?”

“I’ll admit that was not one of our finest moments… that’s a collective ‘our’, Callie. Not a single one of us thought about it.”

“It’s no one else’s responsibility.” Callie looked down at their entwined hands.

“That’s where you are wrong. This isn’t a dictatorship, you aren’t the boss of us. We all have personal responsibility here. Survival depends on all of us. We need each other. No one person is responsible for our wellbeing,” she released Callie’s hand and gently lifted her chin so they were once again looking into each other’s eyes. “And it’s no one’s fault we are here. You hear me? It’s not your fault.”

Callie stared into the professor’s blue eyes trying to see any hint of hidden blame. Upon finding none, she finally sighed, “Okay.”

“Really? Okay? That’s it? You are fine now?”

“Not completely…” Callie admitted. “I still feel responsible, but you are right. We’re all in this together. I can’t continue to mope about it being my fault. That helps no one. But… I still think we need to take a break from the _dating_ stuff... it’s a distraction, we need to step up our efforts. We don’t need to be _dating_ we need to get off.”

Arizona smiled at Callie’s accidental innuendo, but she also came to a decision, “I completely agree. We’ve _dated_ enough.” She started to slowly unbutton her shirt.

“What…” Callie swallowed. “What are you doing? I thought we were fighting…”

“We so are,” she dropped her shirt on the ground and took a step closer to the stunned brunette.

“Arizona… this is…”

“Shut up, just shut up… I like you and you like me and none of the rest of it matters. Volcanos, helicopters, holes in the ground, crazy ocean currents, messed up electromagnetic fields… bears-with-knives… none of that stuff matters.”

“Of course it does… we can’t just…”

“Yes, we can.”

“But…”

“No buts, I’m trying to make a big speech, while in my bra, so you just hush for a minute,” Arizona, was now standing so close to Callie, their bodies were almost touching. “All of that stuff happens whether we are ‘dating’ or not. We will figure it out, solve it all, and we’ll do it together. Okay? We’re stronger together than we are apart. We’re smarter together than we are apart…”she stopped talking for a second. “Uh… Callie? My eyes are up here.”

“Sorry…” Callie’s head snapped up, “You are the one who took your shirt off. It’s very distracting.”

“All part of my plan,” Arizona smiled.

Callie tried her hardest, but couldn’t keep her eyes from drifting down.

“Calliope?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you just going to stand there and stare or are you going to kiss me?

“I…  I’m going to kiss every inch of you,” Callie reached out and tucked a stray hair behind the professor’s ear. She then drug her fingers down Arizona’s neck and across her shoulder and slowly down her arm before grabbing the other woman’s waist and pulling her flush with her own body. Her other hand made its way back up and into the blonde’s hair and finally brought their lips together.

Callie pulled back from the kiss and leaned her forehead against Arizona’s, “Are you sure this is what you want? Because once we do this…” Her hand played with the fine hairs at the base of Arizona’s neck, while the other now traced up and down the blonde’s arm.

“Yes, I want this. I want this so much,” Arizona sighed. “I want you.” She pulled Callie back into another kiss.

Callie broke this kiss once again, “We won’t let this distract us from our goal?”

“I promise,” Arizona took the opportunity to pull back and remove Callie’s shirt, “this won’t distract us from our goal.” She sighed as she gazed at the beautiful woman standing before her. “As a matter of fact, I think it may actually help us…”

“To get off?” Callie questioned. 

Arizona laughed and pushed Callie down onto the blankets. Callie raised her eyebrow as the blonde climbed on top of her.

“That’s exactly what you are going to do,” Arizona grinned as she leaned in for the kill.

 


	17. Chapter 17

Arizona slowly kissed her way back up Callie’s body until they were nose to nose. Callie’s eyes were closed, she reached up and pulled the blonde into a soft, but intense, kiss. When they broke the kiss, Arizona slid to the side and laid flat on her back, both women needing to catch their breath.

A smile spread across Callie’s face, “That was amazing.”

“ _You_ are amazing,” Arizona added.

“I wish I could move. I’m thirsty and the water is out there.” Callie pointed vaguely in the direction of the door.

“Pizza.”

“What?” Callie raised up on her elbow and looked down that the blonde. “Pizza?”

“Yeah, I just had a sudden craving for New York style… extra cheese…” Arizona sighed. She reached up and moved a piece of hair out of Callie’s eyes. “I want to share a pizza with you.”

“We will,” Callie said. “Someday. But right now, I’m going to steal this blanket and go get us some water… and fruit.” She leaned down and kissed Arizona again before standing and wrapping herself in the blanket.

Callie kept her eyes on Arizona as she pushed backward through the hut door, “You’d better still be naked when I get back…” As soon as she stepped out of the hut and turned around she walked head on into Cristina Yang.

“Gah! Jesus, Cristina! I almost died for a second.”

Cristina was holding out a jug of water and bowl with various fruits. She handed it over to Callie, who was having trouble holding the items and keeping the blanket around herself.

“Were you out here… listening to us?” Callie looked offended.

“Not exactly, Meredith got tired, she is resting in her hut, and I heard you… _finish_. I roomed with you for long enough to know you drink a gallon of water and raid the refrigerator after having an org…”

“Ahh, no. Don’t finish that sentence,” Callie interrupted.

“So…” Cristina looked around. “No rescue I assume?”

Callie shook her head. “Nope, the chopper left before coming through the mist… It was gone within minutes.”

“I figured,” Cristina sighed. “But… uh… how did you possibly go from chopper chasing on the north beach… to getting hot with teacher in the love shack?”

“Cristina…”

“What? One minute we are all trying to get rescued and you are poking fun at… well, Owen poking me… and now, here you are getting your freak on with the professor. Did I miss something?”

“Owen fell in a hole!” Callie tried to deflect.

“You don’t have to be crude… besides, that was last night, when we weren’t in the middle of trying to catch a chopper!”

“No… wait, what? No… not… I’m not talking about you and Owen having sex,” Callie sighed. “He fell into a large hole… in the ground… in the jungle. Derek, Alex, Addison, and April took some rope to get him out.”

“And you two took the opportunity to… Rock the Casbah” Cristina pointed to hut.

“Yes, we did. The chopper is gone, there was no point staying at the beach… and we… uh, Arizona and I, had a disagreement. Addison said we had to stay here and… work it out.”

Cristina stared at Callie for a few long seconds. “Work it out, huh?” she looked thoughtful for a second. Callie raised her eyebrow in defiance. “Okay,” Cristina finally said. “I accept that. Which direction did the others go off in?”

“They took a wide berth, north of the volcano.”

“Okay, take your fruit and water and enjoy your post-coital moment with the professor. I’m going to find Owen.”

Callie slipped back into the hut to find Arizona getting dressed.

“No, no, no… what are you doing,” Callie whined. “I thought I said still be naked when I get back!”

“I heard you out there talking,” Arizona said, her shorts pulled halfway up her legs. “I thought everyone was back.”

“No, just Yang and Grey… but Yang left and Grey is napping. So take those pants back off.”

***

Cristina had been walking for about twenty minutes, when she approached the area where others could be heard chatting in the distance. She picked up her pace when she became aware of the ruckus caused by Alex and Derek trying to pull the hot, tired, and dirty Owen out of the hole. She broke through the tree line and thick underbrush that surrounded the hole, just as Owen reached the top. Alex and Derek were helping to drag him up over the lip of the deep depression in the ground. All three flopped onto their backs, panting from their exertion.

“Hey,” Cristina greeted the others. “What is…?” Her eyes widened as she scanned the area, taking in the large perfectly circular hole that Owen just climbed out of, “Oh, wow. Do you guys know what this is? This is...”

“A great big giant hole in the ground?” Addison interjected.

“No, no… it’s an _impact_ _crater_ ,” Cristina looked at each person in turn, April being the only one whose face lit up with recognition. “From a meteorite,” she explained to the others. “You know... giant rock falls out of sky, hits the ground and makes a big hole? Are you guys not familiar with the concept?”

“Of course we are, Cristina,” Derek said from his spot on the ground. “We’re just tired. And not sure about the significance.”

“Seriously? This doesn't excite anyone else?” Cristina excitedly asked. She turned to Owen, “Was there anything in there?"

“Yeah,” he said, still catching his breath from the climb. “A big rock. In the center, very big. It’s half buried, too.”

“I have to go see it!” Cristina exclaimed. “Help me down,” she grabbed the rope that Owen just ascended and looked over the edge of the incline. “Wait! No… I need the professor, I need Robbins. She should be here.”

“Cristina, what are you thinking?” April asked.

“I’m not sure, but this is close to where our compasses go nuts, we need to go back, get some instruments and check this out. And Robbins needs to see it. Do you realize there fewer than two hundred confirmed impact craters on whole planet? She’ll _want_ to see it.”

“Well we should all go back and get them,” Addison said. “Have some food, we all skipped breakfast and I’m starving. Then we can come back later.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Owen said standing and holding his hand out to help Alex up.

“I hope the skipper and the professor worked out their issues,” April said. “I’d hate to go back to them still arguing.”

“They worked it out alright,” Cristina said. “And depending on how long it takes us to get back, they’ll probably work it out again.”

***

“We can’t stay in here all day, Callie,” Arizona placed gentle kisses across the other woman’s back.

Callie was lying flat on her stomach and Arizona snuggled up close beside her, head now propped on one hand as she lightly ran the pads of her fingers of her other down the prone woman’s spine.

“Mmm…” Callie sighed. She lifted her head and looked back over her shoulder at the blonde, “Why not?”

“Because the others will be back soon,” Arizona answered, trailing her fingers back up toward Callie’s full head of hair. Then brushing said hair to the side exposing Callie's completely relaxed shoulders.

“Screw them,” Callie said.

“I’m too worn out,” Arizona joked and placed another light kiss on Callie's shoulder. She laid her head close to Callie’s, their noses almost touching, and whispered, “Short nap, then lunch?”

“Sounds perfect,” Callie replied, her eyes already drifting closed.

***

The rest of the castaways returned to the camp shortly thereafter to find Callie and Arizona – now clothed- having lunch. Meredith was apparently still asleep in her and Derek’s hut.

Everyone, except Derek –who went to check on Meredith- took their places around the central table and joined in on the small feast that Callie and Arizona had fixed in anticipation of their return.

“You two look like you worked things out,” Addison pointed to Callie and Arizona sitting close on the bench.

They looked into each other’s eyes and gooey smiles took over their faces. “We did,” Callie answered.

“Aw that’s so sweet,” April said. “You guys just talked it through and now look…”

“There wasn’t much talking going on when I got here,” Cristina said as she bit into a piece of pineapple. April looked confused. “The skipper and the professor had sex, Farm girl, wake up and smell Callie’s coffee.”

“Cristina! Could you not?” Callie replied. Trying to save Arizona from embarrassment at her first mates loose lips.

“Actually,” Owen interrupted. Also attempting to distract Cristina from the subject. “Didn’t you want to talk to the professor about the crater and the uh… meteor that we may have found?”

“I was getting there... and it’s _meteorite_ ,” Cristina corrected. “The actual rock part that hits the ground is called a _meteorite_ , the meteor is just debris burning up in our atmosphere.”

“Exactly, the name ‘meteorite’ only refers to those chunks of rock or metal that survive the trip through the Earth’s atmosphere and reach the surface.” Arizona explained to Owen and the others. “The meteor is what is frequently referred to as a ‘falling star’. It’s a common misconception,” She held up her index finger, and subsequently her middle and ring, as she listed the three differing items, “Meteoroid while traveling through space, meteor in the atmosphere, and meteorite if it survives and makes impact.” She turned back to Cristina and asked, “You guys found something?” her interest piqued. Callie smiled at Arizona in teacher mode.

“I didn’t get to see it, Owen did, but it’s definitely an impact crater. It looks similar to the Kaali Crater, in uh… Estonia I believe, are you familiar with it?" Arizona nodded, so Cristina continued. "The jungle has grown up around it, and it’s a bit larger than that one, and it’s not full of water like the Kaali.”

“I’ve seen pictures of Kaali," Arizona confirmed. “So... the meteorite?”

“Owen?” Cristina directed him to explain.

“Oh, uh… yeah,” he stammered. Not used to having everyone’s attention directed solely at him. “It’s about the half the size of this table, smooth and very dark grey. It’s kind of pitted? There are all of these little indentations in it.”

“And professor,” Cristina added. “It’s in the proximity of where our devices go crazy. Remember Owen’s compass?”

“If there is a crater, it’s likely made of iron- most hypervelocity cratering events are caused by iron meteoroids, but I need to see it,” Arizona pushed her food away. “Can we go now?”

“Ugh,” Alex complained. “Do I have to go? I don’t care about big metal boulders from space.”

“I’m pretty tired and uninterested too, to be honest.” Addison added.

“I’m interested, but I really need to  get started on the garden…” April said.

“You guys…” Arizona whined. “Where is your sense of wonder?”

“Arizona,” Callie put her hand on the other woman to calm her. “Why don’t we let everyone eat and rest a bit before we take off running into the jungle again?”

“I’m fine to go,” Cristina said. “We don’t need Triple A for this, we just need more rope, it’s a pretty steep incline.”

“Yeah, having just climbed out of it on a single rope, I think we need to think of an easier way,” Owen responded.

“How far to the bottom? We still have the rope ladder from the Minnow,” Callie said. “It should be in the storage hut. Would that be long enough?”

“Maybe,” Owen replied. “Let’s go check.”

“Okay, well…” Callie said. “It looks like we are hunting space rocks.”

***

Callie and Owen made the short trip to the storage hut to grab the supplies needed from there, including the ladder and a few other useful items. While Cristina and Arizona packed up the radio, compasses, and a few other things Cristina had salvaged from her weather experiments on the Minnow.

They met up about halfway to the crater, having decided to go separately so Owen and Callie didn’t have to backtrack from the storage hut, and within the hour were standing on the edge of the large crater.

Arizona smiled in astonishment, “This is amazing, look at this! Callie do you see this?”

“I do,” Callie smiled at the blonde’s enthusiasm. “It’s… a really big hole.”

“A perfectly circular indentation created by a large enough object not to burn up in our atmosphere, and flying at hypervelocity—over 5000 miles per hour,” Arizona explained. “And… and if Owen’s description is correct, which I have no reason to believe he wasn’t accurate, and this meteorite is made of iron or nickel… it was very likely liquid when it made impact because it was so fast and so hot! That, to me, is awesome. Completely awesome.”

“Right?!” Cristina exclaimed. “This is really cool.”

“Well then,” Callie said. “Let’s get down there.”

***

They lowered their packs down first, then they each made their way down the rope ladder and into the crater. Owen led them through the jungle growth to the center where the lonely meteorite sat.

The compass was spinning out of control once again and as they move closer to the rock, anything metal they were carrying was pushed back.

“What the…? Why do I feel like something is pushing this stuff away?” Callie asked, she was carrying the equipment for the excited blonde. Arizona who’d been ahead of her, turned see what she was talking about. Her brow furrowed as she backtracked to where Callie was standing.

Owen and Cristina, who’d been a few yards behind, caught up with the two.

“What’s up?” Cristina asked.

“I’m not sure,” Arizona responded. She looked between the large meteorite, that was still a ways away, and Callie. She took the metal compass from Callie and tried to walk toward the meteorite. The arm holding the compass was pushed back. “Huh. Owen…” She asked. “Did you have any ferrous metals on you this morning when you sat on it? Something a magnet would stick to?”

“No, nothing,” he replied.

“I… think it’s magnetized,” Arizona deduced.

“But… wouldn’t that mean the metal would be attracted to it, not pushed away?” Callie asked.

“Hmm,” Arizona didn’t answer Callie because her mind was whirling. “Owen take the compass and walk around, see if you can get any closer. Callie, put that stuff down and come with me. Cristina… try the radio from here.”

Cristina turned the radio on and there was no sound, not even static. She tried every channel and nothing. She left the radio at the buffer zone and caught up with Callie and Arizona, who were standing beside the meteorite.

“Anything?” Arizona asked.

“Not even static,” Cristina said. “I know it was working, I tested it before we left.”

Owen called out from the distance, “I can’t get close. It’s like the metal is being repelled.”

“What are you thinking?” Cristina asked. “That it’s lodestone?”

“What’s lodestone?” Callie asked.

“Lodestone is a naturally magnetized piece of the mineral magnetite, it’s pretty rare,” Arizona explained. “But this… isn’t that. This is different… I… I think this is a magnetic monopole.”

“Get out!” Cristina said. “Impossible.”

“What?” Callie asked. “What is a mono… monopoly?”

“Magnetic monopole,” Arizona repeated. “It’s a giant magnet that’s all push, no pull.”

“You lost me,” Callie said.

“All magnets are dipolar, they have a north pole and a south pole. A push and a pull. You know how bar magnets, like the ones you would stick on your refrigerator, have a side that attracts other magnets and a side that repels other magnets? This one does not. This is all push… it’s never been observed in nature. Monopoles, until now, have been strictly theoretical. This…. This is an amazing find for particle physics. And I bet you anything it’s why our equipment is… wonky. The whole magnetic field surrounding this island would be affected. It’s like… a magnetic black hole. The wall of mist… everything, including the currents… this is the cause.”

“So if we destroy this…” Owen walked up to catch the tail end of the conversation. “We can get off this island?”

“What? We can’t destroy this! You don’t understand, you don’t get the implications of this… how it could be used to change our future…” Arizona snapped.

“Right, we destroy it,” Callie said. “And our future resumes off the island.”

“NO… no, not _our_ future, I’m not just talking about our future, but the future of all mankind. This is bigger than us, we can’t just unilaterally destroy something that could revolutionize natural energy production… a clean green energy… space travel… I... I… the practical applications for this are… endless. I don’t know… I’m not a particle physicist, I just… I know it’s not something we should or even could destroy.”

“The volcano,” Cristina said.

“Cristina, no,” Arizona replied.

“We heat it to the Curie point…”

“We don’t even know if that would work on a monopole!” Arizona yelled.

“What is the Curie point?” Owen asked.

“When you heat a magnet it affects its polarity, the hotter it gets the weaker it gets, and once it reaches the Curie point, it loses its magnetism, even if it is cooled back down,” Cristina explained.

“Look, we need to just slow down here,” Arizona said. She was starting to get distressed. “I want to get off of this island as much as the rest of you, but this is not something we should just decide on a whim.”

“Okay, okay,” Callie said. “Let’s all calm down. Think about this.”

“Professor, even if we could destroy this,” thing with the volcano, it would take us months to move it,” Owen reasoned. “Especially if we can’t get close to it with metal.”

“Right,” Callie said. “Look,” she pointed to where the meteorite was half covered with soil, “we would need to dig it up, figure out how to get it out of the crater, then transport it all the way to the volcano... See, it won’t be hasty. You can study it, and maybe in the mean time someone will rescue us?”

“That’s doubtful,” Arizona groaned. She ran he had across the rock, “This is effectively cloaking the island. No radar, no… radio signals going out. No one will find us with this here.”

“So, are you saying…?” Callie led.

“If we ever want to get off this island,” she sighed in defeat. “We’ll need to destroy it.”

***

Lexie was sitting alone on the deck of the cargo ship Seattle Grace, she held a map in her hand. A map of the Caribbean, which she had marked up and written all over. The others may have given up on the search and accepted the death of their friends and family, but she hadn’t. She may be going home with the rest of them, but it 2014, she wouldn’t need an actual ship to search for an _island_ , all she needed was unfettered access to a computer and plenty of spare time.

She was going to find that island, and she was going to use Google Earth to do it.

 


	18. Chapter 18

Though they had originally decided not to, Captain Torres and Professor Robbins shared the news that the helicopter couldn’t get close to the island. They changed their minds in order to convince the others it was worth the time and effort to move the meteorite to the lava flow.

Everyone was on board with the plan and had been working nonstop for weeks. Digging the meteorite out of the ground and moving it to the side of the crater, had taken effort, but wasn’t as difficult as they originally thought. Professor Robbins had thought up a way of moving it, without metal, using only levers, counterweights, and pulleys. It was quite ingenious. She made a mental note to write an academic paper siting this as a feasible technique for the building of Stonehenge, when they returned to civilization.

The ease with which they had moved it had everyone’s spirits soaring. However, after relocating it from the center of the crater, they’d reached an impasse. No one, not even Arizona, could think of a viable or quick solution for getting the large rock up and out of the giant hole it was in. They’d tried ropes and wooden pulleys, but the stone was too big to lift. Almost everyone helped, but nothing worked.

It was coming down to their only option being to hand plowing the side of the crater to create a gentle slope. It would take time, lots of time, which in and of itself wouldn’t be a big deal, but as the days and weeks wore on it became obvious to everyone that Meredith was indeed pregnant, and her body wasn’t handling it well. She had been plagued by morning sickness and fatigue and everyone was feeling the urgency and gravity of their situation. Everyone’s desperation for rescue increased.  They needed to get off this island and they only had a few months to do so.

They decided to divide themselves into three groups, one concentrated on food water and maintaining the camp, one clearing trees and brush in a path towards the volcano, and the last digging out the side of the crater to create a slope.  Arizona, Alex, and April worked on the slope, while Callie, Owen and Cristina worked to clear the path. Leaving Derek, Addison, and Meredith to maintain the camp and gather food.

Steady digging for days and weeks had barely put a dent in the side of the crater, and Arizona was becoming dejected and angry with herself for being unable to come up with a better plan.

The path clearing, however, was proceeding much better than the slope creating and a nice stockpile of wood was emerging from their efforts.

Though she didn’t outwardly show it, Callie’s guilt hadn’t lessened. Every time she heard Meredith lose her breakfast, she keenly felt it. It was eating away at her, wearing her down, causing her to lie awake at night. She didn’t let Arizona see it though, she couldn’t. They all needed Arizona and her expertise, Callie didn’t want to burden the other woman with her own demons.  She was, however, formulating a plan of her own.  She didn’t quite have all the details worked out, so she didn’t share, but it was coming together in her head. The extra wood from clearing the path and a rogue windstorm had given her the idea.

The rogue windstorm had also excited Cristina, who immediately made a homemade barometer to monitor for future storms. She was getting very accurate with her predictions and regularly called weather systems in plenty of time for them to seek shelter.

***

After the initial joy of their coming together, the skipper and professor’s relationship had progressed pleasantly, but slowly. Their days spent working apart, led to nights spent together in their own little world, but Callie held back. She knew she was falling in love. Loving Arizona was inevitable. She couldn’t stop it even if she wanted to, but she refused to say it. She _couldn’t_ —not if her plan went as she thought it would. She couldn’t do that to Arizona.

Callie laid on her back staring at the thatched ceiling of the hut she shared with other woman. The quiet solitude of the island at night, and the soft snores of the woman she was coming to love, caused the seriousness of her thoughts to weigh heavily on her heart.

She sighed deeply, which triggered the heretofore sleeping professor to stir and wake.

“Calliope?” She asked, her voice raspy with remnants of sleep.

“Go back to sleep,” Callie whispered. “I’m fine.”

“No you aren’t, you are exhausted. We all are. You need to sleep.”

“Can’t,” Callie just shook her head.

“What’s the matter?” Arizona propped herself up on her elbows, to better see the prone brunette. “Talk to me.”

“It’s not working,” Callie said. “We aren’t going to make it.”

Arizona swallowed hard, now wide awake. “What are you talking about?”

Callie thought for a second that she should tell the professor that they weren’t working. She would move out of their hut, stay with the Gingers. Save Arizona the heartbreak of what was to come, but she was too selfish to do that. Too selfish because she needed Arizona. She needed their unspoken love to be able go through with what she had to do.

“Callie, talk to me,” Arizona begged. “What’s not working?”

Callie finally turned and looked into the Arizona’s eyes, she couldn’t do it. Couldn’t break this woman’s heart and then watch. Arizona was already in too deep too, Callie could tell. “The plan. It’s not working. We aren’t going to get the meteorite out of that crater in time.”

“We still have months before the baby comes,” Arizona replied, the relief evident on her face, even in the dark. “Meredith is only in her second trimester. We’ll think of something.”

“I have.”

“Thought of something?”

“Yeah, I have another plan.”

Arizona could sense Callie’s reticence at sharing the plan, so she sat up and looked down at the other woman. “What is it? What’s your plan?” She took Callie’s hand in her own.

“Build a raft,” Callie whispered, she twisted her hand so that she was the now holding Arizona’s hand in hers. She held on tight.

“No, we know that won’t work. Owen and Alex have tried that… and we did with the inflatable. It won’t work.”

“But I think it can… I’ve been watching the wave patterns all over the island, and I think I’ve found a spot that it will be feasible… with help.”

“Help from what?”

“The wind. I need to make a sail. With a sail and a heavy wind storm, I think I can push through the current, but… it will have to be small. Just me.”

“Nope. Not happening. No one goes alone. You know that, that’s the rule. We all voted. No one does anything alone. You’ll just have to make that raft big enough for me too.”

“Arizona, no. They need you here too much.”

“And I need _you_. So… no. You won’t be going out on any rafts alone. Out of the question. I’m putting my foot down.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“I said, okay, didn’t I?” She didn’t mean it though.

“Good, now that that’s settled, we’ll look into raft construction, but… it’s only as a last resort. It’s much safer for us to destroy the cause of the magnetic interference and radio for help, than to sail out into the ocean on a raft. So that’s still our priority. Agreed?”

“That, I definitely agree with. It’s definitely safer to destroy the rock, than the other way.”

“Now, lay your ass down and let me hold you while we sleep.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Callie wanted to pull back from this relationship to make it easier for Arizona in the long run, but she couldn’t give up the comfort the other woman brought.

***

The following morning they awoke to the sounds of yet another round of Meredith Grey’s morning sickness. Callie and Arizona shared a look before heading out into the camp. The morning sun used to bring Callie a more optimistic frame of mind, a break from the heavy thoughts that plagued her at night, but Meredith had entered her second trimester and her morning sickness hadn’t waned. Today, though, the rise of the sun filled the skipper a renewed sense of purpose. No matter the consequences to her, she would get them off the island.

“Hey, Skipper, Professor,” Cristina greeted them as they exited their tent.

“Breakfast?” Kepner asked. “I made coffee.”

“Thanks, April,” Callie said. “You’re an angel, you know that?”

Everyone tried once again to ignore the retching coming from the future parents’ hut, but it invariably put a damper on breakfast.

Owen tried to make conversation, “How goes the ramp? I haven’t been by to see it in a while.”

“It’s going, slower than I had hoped, but it’s definitely going to work,” Arizona responded. “What about our path?”

“Oh, it’s almost clear,” Cristina interjected. “We’ll be able to help at the crater soon. But, a storm is brewing. Looks to be a doozy, too.”

“When?” Callie asked. “And how bad?”

“Soon. Tomorrow? Maybe as early as tonight. It’s likely we’ll get a lot of rain and wind. A _lot of rain_. The pressure is pretty low, we should probably head to the caves for the worst of it.”

“No, no… are we going to lose the huts?” Addison whined. “I love my little house.”

“Maybe,” Cristina replied. “Maybe not. It’s not going to be a hurricane or anything, but I’m _sure_ there will be heavy rain.”

This was just the type of storm Callie was looking for, but her raft wasn’t ready. She had started planning it in secret, hoping she’d have it completed before it even became necessary. But there wouldn’t be time enough to finish its construction before tomorrow, not by a long shot, but she could make a small one. Just large enough for an unmanned test run. See if it could make it past the mist or if the current brought it back to lagoon.

“I need to do something,” Callie blurted. “I need help building something before storm hits. A raft.”

Arizona’s eyes widened at the suggestion, “No, Callie. We aren’t ready. It hasn’t come to that.”

“No, I know. I do. This would just be a small one. A test run. No one on it. My big one isn’t ready.”

“I think you two need to share with the class,” Addison said. “Have you been making secret get away plans?”

“No, we haven’t,” Arizona replied. “Not really, but it sounds like you have this a little more planned out than you let on last night, Calliope.”

“Dude, she ‘Calliope-d’ you,” Alex said. “You’re in trouble.”

“I have been thinking about it, yes. A lot. And I may or may not have planned the raft out in my head. And I also may or may not have set aside some suitable building materials as we’ve cleared the path, but that’s it. I haven’t done anything without you. I wouldn’t do anything without telling. But this storm is the perfect opportunity to test my theory.”

“And what theory is that?” Cristina asked.

“That a raft with a sail and strong tailwind will help me get over that current. Get me far enough away from the island to radio for help.”

“Us,” Arizona reminded. “You keep saying ‘me’. I told you last night, no one goes alone.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I misspoke.”

“I don’t know, Skipper, that current is pretty fierce.”

“That’s exactly why we should do a test run.”

***

Over the course of the day, the wind picked up considerably, but not quite as much as Callie was hoping. Callie, Arizona, and Cristina worked on the construction of their small raft. They made quick work of it; their time on this island had made them efficient at such tasks. All of them had become experts at fabricating something from nothing. 

The raft was small, but sturdy. Large enough for Bilbo, who was currently sitting on it as they transported it to the exact spot where the skipper wanted to launch. They would never send him out on it, though. There were too many variables to guarantee a positive outcome. Callie would never risk their tiny, annoying friend.

The rest of the castaways spent the day moving their essentials to the caves for the duration of the storm. They hoped their huts would still be there upon return, but they weren’t taking chances. The caves would be cramped, but they were well above water level and protected from the wind and rain.

***

Callie, Arizona, and Cristina stood at the spot, just north of where the island rose into the cliffs which held the caves, directly below the swamps. It was the perfect launch spot. The incoming waves were soft, and if the raft made it to the current, it would flow north along the east side of the island until reaching the north-eastern most corner of the island, where Callie hoped the strong wind would pick it up and take it beyond the current. If she were manning the raft she would have waited to deploy the sails until just the right moment, but since this was a test run, she’d have to hope it worked as planned. Either way, the next time a large storm came, she was going.

The skipper and the professor, both strong swimmers, waded the small test raft out over the cresting waves far enough for it to be picked up by the wind and pulled away from the island. By the time they swam back to the waiting first mate, the small craft had already disappeared into the mist.

They flopped onto the beach flat on their backs, tired from their excursion. They laid still, sucking in their breaths, while Cristina paced the beach behind them—one eye on the looming storm, the other watching the direction of the departing raft.

“Okay, that thing is gone, we need to get to the caves before it really starts to…,” Cristina didn’t even get to finish her sentence before the skies opened up and rain started pouring down. “Rain,” she sighed.

“Come on, Cristina,” Callie sat up. “A little rain never hurt anyone. Are you afraid of getting little wet?”

“I thought you loved weather?’ Arizona chuckled. “Isn’t that why you became a meteorologist?”

“I do love weather, but I also respect and _fear_ it,” Cristina replied, more seriously than Arizona anticipated at her lighthearted joking. “Weather is best experienced from inside. Not out in the middle of it.”

“Okay, okay,” Callie interjected. “Let’s head to the caves and ride this storm out. Where we’ll all be safe and _inside_.”

***

Later that night in the caves, as the group of castaways sat around a warm fire—the storm blowing and churning outside—they shared stories of home.

“Wow, that’s an amazing story, Addison,” April said. “I love hearing how celebrities were discovered.”

“Please,” Derek scoffed. “Tell them what really happened, Addie.”

“What?” April asked.

“He’s implying that I slept my way onto that movie,” Addison explained to younger ginger.

“That is rude,” Cristina laughed.

“And unkind,” April added.

“And completely true,” Addison admitted.

April sucked in her breath, disappointment in her friend and idol obvious.

“Oh, don’t be so disappointed, farm girl,” Addison said. “My husband was off being a super surgeon and flirting with pre-school, I mean pre-med students.” She looked directly at Meredith. “Isn’t that right, Meredith?”

Meredith just narrowed her eyes.

“You were there, Cristina. You tell us,” Addison looked to the other woman to confirm her statement.

“Yeah, there was definitely flirting. Meredith thought he was _dreamy_ ,” Cristina made a face.

“Hey, we never went beyond flirting,” Meredith defended. “At least not until after you…”

“Slept with a hot man candy movie producer?”

“Exactly,” Derek replied.

“Well, I was lonely.”

“And wanted a job?” Derek asked.

“Are you implying that I’m a whore?”

“If the shoe…”

“Hey, hey. Let’s keep it friendly here,” Arizona said. “It looks like it all worked out for the best anyway,” she tried to keep the conversation from devolving further into an argument.

“You are absolutely right,” Addison said. “We all ended up with what we wanted. What we deserved. Except… Cristina.”

“What? Me?” Cristina shook her head. “I’m fine. I ended up just fine.”

“But you wanted to be a surgeon,” Addison insisted. “And I want to know why you aren’t.”

“Addison,” Meredith warned. “That’s none of your business.”

“I know it isn’t,” Addison relied. “Neither is me sleeping with what’s-his-face. But your husband felt the need to share that.”

“Lightning.”

“What?” Callie said.

Everyone turned to look at Cristina.

“I got struck by lightning,” Cristina repeated.

“Holy shit!” Alex blurted. “Who gets struck by lightning?”

“To be fair, Alex,” Callie interrupted. “Who gets shipwrecked on a deserted island?”

“Me apparently,” Cristina replied. “All of the above.”

“Why did that stop you from becoming a doctor?” April asked.

“I have nerve damage. I can’t hold a scalpel, not without a tremor.”

“Not all doctors are surgeons,” Addison added softly. She suddenly felt sympathy for the other woman, could empathize with her. The actress knew if she hadn’t achieved _her_ dream, she’d be miserable.

“Please, do I look like the dermatologist type to you? Or that I belong on the gyno brigade? No, if I was going to be a doctor, I was going to be a surgeon. A cardio god. Anything less than that would have been a failure. McDreamy, fancy neuro surgeon over there couldn’t even fix it. The nerve damage was permanent. So…”

Owen watched quietly from the corner, not saying a word.

“That’s why you went into meteorology,” Arizona surmised, finishing Cristina’s sentence.

“Bingo, professor,” Cristina took a sip of mango wine. “I wanted to know everything there was to know about weather. It became my passion. The rest is… history.”

“That’s amazing,” April said. “God really works in mysterious ways. He obviously has a plan for…”

“Ugh with your god already,” Alex got up from his spot at the fire and went to look out at the storm raging outside.

“Wha…? I don’t talk about god that much, do I?”

“No, sweetie,” Addison soothed the other woman. “ _Alex,_ is just an ass.” She raised her voice on the words ‘Alex’ and ‘ass’ to the grumpy man standing at the mouth of the cave could hear.

“Whatever,” he grumbled.

“What’s your story, Evil Spawn,” Cristina asked.

“I don’t have a story,” he grumped back.

“Everyone has a story, Alex,” Addison prodded gently. “But if you don’t want to share…”

“Let me guess,” Cristina said. “You are in the military and it’s either because you have an overly patriotic sense of duty—which I doubt—or you had no other options. That doesn’t seem likely, though. Despite your stupid face, I know you aren’t dumb.”

“Your face is stupid,” Alex countered.

“Hey,” Cristina said. “That was a compliment. I said you weren’t dumb.”

“Yang, that’s enough,” Callie tried to reel her first mate in before she said something too offensive.

“It’s a simple question, Skipper. I shared my story, he should share his. You were in the military because…” Cristina lead.

“Because I had a crappy childhood and the military was the easiest way to an education,” Alex finally relented. “See, no deep dark secrets,” his eyes shifted and his face twitched just a bit.

“You’re lying,” Addison said.

“I am not. The military has a great ROTC program. I needed help to pay for a higher education. I was just taking advantage of that.”

“Not about the military or your education, I believe that. But you are hiding something.”

“What is it, Alex?” April asked. “We are all friends here. There’s no judgment, here.”

“Speak for yourself, Virgin Mary,” Cristina said.

“Well,” April pointed at Cristina. “She’s going to judge you no matter what.”

Alex looked around the fire at the people he’d come to trust over the past few months, especially April. She made him want to tell his story.

“Please, Alex?” They younger redhead pushed.

He sighed, resigned to the fact that he would be telling his story. He walked back over to the fire and sat next to April.

“I was married,” he said. He looked at April, anticipating some reaction, but her face was unreadable.

“Divorced?” Cristina asked. “That’s not really scandalous. No need to hide that. Did you cheat or her?”

“Nobody cheated,” Alex looked away from April and growled. “She just… she died.”

“Alex, I’m so sorry,” Arizona said. “What happened?”

“Cancer,” he shrugged.

A chorus of ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘are you okay’ rang out from everyone in the cave.

“It was years ago, I’m fine now,” he said. “Leave me alone. This is why I didn’t want to say anything. I don’t need your pity,” but he gratefully accepted April’s soft hand as it slid into his own.

“I have a child,” came a voice from the back of the cave.

Everyone turned away from Alex and directed their attention to Owen, who’d been silent for most of the night.

“You have a what?” Cristina asked.

“A son,” Owen responded. “He lives in Seattle with his mother.”

The group was stunned silent for a moment.

“Why haven’t you mentioned this before?” Cristina challenged.

“Because it hasn’t come up before,” Owen replied.

“You don’t think that’s something you should have shared with me?” Cristina asked, no longer having fun at the honesty game they’d been playing.

“It wasn’t something that was relevant to you, or to our situation.”

“Our situation,” Cristina repeated. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Callie and Arizona shared a look, both silently concluding this evening’s conversation should stop.

“Why don’t we all try to get some sleep?” Arizona suggested.

“Yeah, there’s going to be a lot of work for us tomorrow,” Callie said. “Repairing, rebuilding…”

“Owen,” Cristina ignored everyone else. “Answer me.”

“I uh…” he stammered. “It wasn’t a secret, Cristina… I just…”

“I think I need to sleep,” Cristina said. “I’m finished for tonight.” She quickly exited the main part of the cave, and went into one of the smaller alcoves. Owen looked at the rest of the castaways stunned that his confession had such an effect on Cristina. When no one said anything, he quickly followed the angry woman to the other part of the cave.

“Wow,” Addison said. “That was tense.”

“Cristina doesn’t want children. She’s not a big fan,” Derek replied.

“That’s not true,” Meredith said. “Just because Cristina doesn’t want to be a mother, doesn’t mean she doesn’t like children.”

“Right,” Callie said. “She happens to be very good with children. She used to regularly go to a few schools around Miami and demonstrate weather-y stuff.”

“Then what was that about?” April asked.

“I think maybe it was the fact that Owen didn’t tell her,” Arizona conjectured. “He kept something important from her, and she thought they meant something to each other.”

“Just because he kept something from her, doesn’t mean she means nothing to him. Sometimes keeping something to yourself is better in the long run.” Callie replied. “Sometimes it’s for the other person’s own good.”

***

After banking the fire and settling into their sleeping areas, whispers could be heard from the various nooks and crannies of the cave. Everyone discussing the various revelations of the night, learning that perhaps they all didn’t know each other as well as they thought they did. Their time together on the island had forged some strong friendships, but could they survive in the real world? Would they all still be friends when they get back home, or would they drift apart, the island a distant bad memory?

***

Callie and Arizona’s area was quiet, both women had a lot on their minds. They lay side by side, Arizona the big spoon, her arms around Callie protectively. Their physical closeness unquestioned, but their minds worried over different things. Callie thought about the raft and getting them safely off of the island, as always, while Arizona’s anxiety for the night had taken a different turn.

“Calliope?” she whispered into the back of the brunette’s neck.

“Hmm?” Callie responded.

“Are you hiding something from me?” Arizona asked. Her voice soft and hesitant.

“What?” Callie tried to sit up, but Arizona held her tight.

“I just… I feel like you’ve been holding back recently. And then tonight… you defended Owen keeping that giant secret from Cristina. I just… It makes me think you might be hiding something from me too?”

“I don’t have any secret children, Arizona. I promise.”

“Well, that’s good to know,” Arizona nuzzled into Callie’s thick dark hair. “Though, it wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me… just letting you know. Because... you mean so much to me, Callie… I… think I lo…”

Callie quickly turned to face the other woman and kissed her hard. She needed to stop the words ‘I love you’ from coming out of Arizona’s beautiful mouth. “Don’t,” Callie said. “Not yet.” She kissed Arizona again. “Not here. Not stuck on this island. Okay?” Callie pleaded.

“Okay,” Arizona relented. “Okay, I’ll wait.”

The two women laid in silence, once again occupied by their own thoughts.

***

The storm raged for most of the night, but the morning brought with it clearing skies. The tired, grumpy castaways made their way back to the clearing to find several of the huts were badly damaged, but they hadn’t blown away like they’d feared. Cristina noted that the wind didn’t pick up as much as she thought it would. Everyone, but Callie, was grateful.

Callie left the others to go check the lagoon, the lack of wind didn’t bode well for raft making it past the current. She burst through the tree line and started scouring the debris that had gathered in the lagoon. There were palm leaves and sticks and seaweed, but no sign of her tiny raft.

Arizona walked up behind her, startling Callie out of her thoughts.

“It’s not here?” the professor asked.

“Not that I see,” Callie answered.

“That’s a good sign, right?”

“It is,” Callie smiled. “It means it worked. It made it past the current.” Or was completely destroyed on the rocks, but Callie left that part unsaid.

“So it looks like we are building a bigger raft?”

“Yep, big enough for…”

“Both of us,” Arizona reiterated.

“Sure thing,” Callie smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

***

Alex and April stood at the side of the crater and stared in shock at what they saw.

“We have to get the professor,” April said.

“Oh yeah,” Alex smiled, he grabbed April in a bear hug and spun her around. “We really freakin’ do.”

***

Everyone but Lexie Grey had given up on finding the missing people from the SS Minnow. She was the only one who had faith in the island that no one believed was there. It wasn’t on any official charts, and Henry adamantly denied seeing it. Not that she thought Henry was deliberately hiding something, she knew he was just too busy keeping them from crashing to notice. 

As time passed, she had somehow found herself in a long distance relationship with the handsome, older, Mark Sloan. He was sweet and hot and they shared a grief that very few people could understand. They had searched for their loved ones together for almost 2 months to no success. The only bit of evidence they had was Lexie’s panic stricken memory of a flash of green.

The lost group was finally given up for dead by the various families and funerals and memorials where had.

Lexie had promised Mark after the memorial that she would give up the obsessive searching and get on with her life. He told her that he missed and loved his friend too, but he had to let her go. Callie wouldn’t want this to consume his life and Meredith wouldn’t want that for Lexie either. And Lexie mostly agreed, it’s why she was back at work. It’s why she was a super busy surgical intern and was actually enjoying her long distance relationship, but she still devoted a few hours a week, just a few, to searching the satellite images on Google Earth.

 


	19. Chapter 19

Everyone was milling around the open space that held their huts, picking up debris from the previous night’s storm. The damage to the frames of the huts was minimal, but some of the outer thatching had blown off and now littered their living area.

Alex and April came bursting into the clearing, shouting for the professor as soon as they were close, announcing they had news about the crater.

Everyone gathered round, while the two caught their breath. Patiently waiting for whatever news April and Alex had to share. They all had various expressions revealing confusion, fear, and hope.

“What is it?” Arizona asked, unable to hold her curiosity any longer.

“Dude, you need to come look,” Alex was bent over, a stitch in his side from running.

“You have to see,” April added. “It’s amazing.”

**

April and Alex kept their mouths shut the whole trek to the crater, they didn’t want to spoil the sight for the others. That didn’t stop Cristina and Arizona from peppering them with questions as they walked.

“You’ll see soon enough,” April finally broke. “Don’t worry, it’s not a bad thing.”

“Then why won’t you tell us?” Arizona grumped. Despite their assurances, her body was tense, she was on high alert. Callie’s raft idea and utter lack of enthusiasm every time Arizona mentioned joining her, had her on edge, and she didn’t like the feeling. Add to that April and Alex’s tight lips and she was full on irritated.

“It’s something you need to see to appreciate,” April replied. “Stop pestering me, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Ugh,” Arizona groaned and pushed her way to the front of the expedition. Forcing herself, and thus the rest of the group to move faster.

**

When Arizona broke through the tree line and the crater became visible, she stopped dead in her tracks, causing the trailing ship captain to walk straight into her back, and almost knock the professor into the crater.

As she nimbly grabbed and steadied Arizona, Callie’s eyes roamed over the sight before them. “Wow,” she said.

The side of the crater where Alex, Arizona, and April had been digging had completely given in to the onslaught of wind and rain. The deluge had saturated the edge—that had already been loosened by digging—so much so, it slid off and formed a perfectly angled ramp. Exactly what they’d been trying, unsuccessfully, for months to create.

“Well, what do you know,” Addison said upon arriving. “Looks like luck is finally on our side.”

Cristina pushed her way through the surrounding brush and passed the others to finally see what the fuss was about. “Huh.”

“The angle looks perfect,” Arizona finally said. “It will be easy to move the meteorite up that slope.”

“It’s a sloppy mess of mud,” Cristina said.

“I know,” Arizona nodded.

“It’ll be weeks before it is dry enough,” Cristina added.

“I know,” Arizona agreed. She let out a small laugh and smiled.

“And that’s  _if_  we don’t get any more rain….”

“I know, Cristina, I know all of that, but… it’s the first bit of  _hope_  I’ve felt since we discovered the monopole.” She turned and grabbed Callie’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “No one needs to do anything drastic, okay? No unnecessary risks. No need to rush things, or run off and make a raft. Right?” she looked directly at Callie, forcing her to make eye contact.

Callie only broke her gaze long enough to allow her eyes to hurriedly roam the mudslide, then she looked right back at Arizona, whose face held an optimism and eagerness that was infectious. Callie couldn’t help but be swayed by her enthusiasm. She  _finally_  believed Arizona’s plan would work. There was plenty of time for them to get that meteorite to the volcano and destroy it. There was no need for the raft or her dangerous plan. She pulled Arizona into a hug, and was just about to tell her that she was right. She was going to tell her she loved her. But before the joyous words could leave Callie’s mouth, Meredith Grey’s legs buckled and she fell to the ground unconscious.

**

Meredith recovered from her fainting spell quickly and stubbornly insisted she was fine. However, when they got back to the camp and first aid kit, Derek determined her blood pressure was abnormally high, leading him to suspect Meredith had preeclampsia. The only cure for preeclampsia is to deliver the baby, but at only 24 weeks, it was way too early for that option…  _If they wanted the baby to survive_.

Their current course of treatment was to manage Meredith’s symptoms with bed rest and a closely monitored diet. Everyone pitched in, and more efforts were directed toward procuring the sick woman a balanced diet of protein, fats, and carbohydrates, but as the days went by and she didn’t regain her stamina, everyone’s mood dropped again.

There had also been several rains over the few weeks following the fortuitous landslide, not allowing for the newly created slope to dry.

Callie was back to secretly planning and constructing her raft. She knew she’d never get away without having someone—most likely Arizona—with her, but she didn’t want to burden the professor with the added stress of knowing what they’d likely have to do.

She knew the odds of building a raft that could withstand the harshness of a violent, relentless ocean storm were slim, but she had to try, and soon. She felt in her soul, that the lives of Meredith and her unborn child depended on it.

Taking enough food and water for more than one person would be counterproductive, she couldn’t make the raft too large. She needed just the right balance between sturdy and light to get past the wicked current caused by the giant magnet on the island. She just hoped Arizona wouldn’t notice supplies for one, instead of two.

**

Arizona wasn’t stupid. Not by a long shot. She knew Callie was up to something, in fact, everyone did. They’d even discussed it on occasion. The skipper disappeared for hours every day and came back to the clearing tired and dirty. Arizona wasn’t going to ignore it anymore. Which is why, today, she planned to covertly follow Callie on her regular, secretive excursion.

**

Callie slipped away from the others, and stealthily made her way past Triple A’s hut. She cut north of April’s garden to the fresh water spring, where she filled her containers, then followed the stream down past the swamp and to the beach. She knew Arizona was behind her, but she also knew it was time to come clean about her plan, so she kept her knowledge of the other woman’s presence undisclosed until she reached her destination.

Not wanting to call her out directly, Callie decided to have a little fun with the lurking professor.

She immediately went to work sorting her materials. The very materials she had been moving from the other side of the island for the past few weeks. She laid her bamboo out and started walking off the measurements. She could feel Arizona’s eyes on her, but she’d yet to make her presence known.

Deciding to up her game, Callie removed her blue captain’s shirt and after wiping the sweat from her brow, she tossed it aside. She was now clad only in a pair of old cut-off jean shorts and her bikini top, which she had been wearing as a bra, because it was Cristina’s turn to do laundry and she always waited until the last minute.

Callie took two of the longer bamboo trees and placed them on the ground, parallel, roughly eight feet part. She then took two slightly shorter pieces and placed them on the top to form a square, leaving the longer pieces extending out from each side. Callie grabbed some rope and started lashing the pieces together.

“Wait,” Arizona finally made herself known. “Why are those pieces longer?”

“That’s what gets you out of the woods?” Callie chuckled. “An engineering question? I’ve been topless and shaking my ass at you for the last twenty minutes!”

“And I’ve enjoyed every one of those twenty minutes, for sure,” Arizona replied, stepping out from behind a tree. “I like watching you shake your ass, but…”

“You want to know why I’m lashing it this way.”

“Yes,” the professor smiled. “First explain to me what you are doing,  _then_  I get to chastise you for doing it in secret… and topless.”

Callie welcomed the other woman with a quick kiss on the lips, then explained what she was doing. “This middle part here,” she pointed to the squared off section, “will be the actual floor of the raft. Out here,” Callie walked to one end of the raft, “will be stabilizing pontoons.”

“To keep the raft from tipping,” Arizona surmised.

“Exactly,” Callie smiled.

“And just why have you been doing this in secret? You know as soon as the slope dries enough….”

“Arizona, we all know Meredith's pregnancy is… troubled. It’s been raining off and on for weeks. We can’t wait.”

Arizona pulled Callie toward her and laid her head on the other woman’s shoulder and sighed, “I know.”

Callie’s hand immediately reached up and moved through Arizona’s long blonde locks in a comforting manner. “My plan will work,” she whispered, “I promise.”

Arizona pulled back and looked into Callie’s soulful brown eyes. “What exactly is your plan? I mean… beyond getting past the current?”

“I’m taking one of the radios. Maybe, use it like a beacon? Then contact someone.”

“We,” Arizona added again.

“Of course, do you think you can rig it to send out a continuous signal?”

“Without question,” Arizona smiled. She stepped away from Callie and walked around the frame of the raft. Her brow furrowed and she looked back up at Callie. “So if we can’t reach someone? We come back? To the island?”

“Yeah, that… uh, that’s the plan. Signal, then return.” Callie was sure there would be no return. She didn’t think she could navigate back to the island on the tiny raft, even if she wanted to.

“It doesn’t look that big. How are we both going to fit on here?”

Callie was prepared for this question, “I’m tying the inflatable to the back. The supplies will be on the raft floor, and you will trail behind in the inflatable.”

“Why won’t you be in the inflatable with me?”

“I, uh… will, eventually,” Callie lied. She hated lying to the woman she loved, but it was for her own protection. “I’ll need to be on the actual raft to deploy the sails. You remember? The whole thing that’s going to get me past that current?”

“Won’t the inflatable cause too much drag?”

“I don’t think so,” Callie lied again. “I’ve been dealing with the ocean for a lot of years, Arizona. My sails will be able to handle it.”

“Okay,” Arizona shook her head to clear the uncertainty she was feeling. “I trust you.”

Callie didn’t respond other than to pull the other woman back into a hug, she couldn’t look into her eyes.

“How soon are we leaving?”

“A few weeks,” Callie replied. “Maybe less. The first good storm.”

Arizona swallowed hard and nodded.

“Let’s get this thing built, then.”

Callie once again put her guilt aside to make the atmosphere less solemn. “I’m sorry ma’am, but you have to be topless to work on this raft.”

“But I don’t have on a bikini top under my shirt…”

“Shirt off, Professor Robbins. Rules are the rules…” Callie winked. “Grab a couple coconuts if you feel the need to be covered.”

**

They had fun that day, building the raft together, just the two of them. And every day after that for next few weeks. Callie couldn’t get enough of Arizona, and vice versa.

Arizona felt she couldn’t let Callie out of her sight, she didn’t want to. She wasn’t sure if it was how much they’d been enjoying their time together or if she were just being desperate and clingy, but she followed Callie everywhere. Watched her like a hawk. She sometimes feared the skipper would do something drastic, like enact her plan alone, and sometimes she trusted the ship’s captain completely.

**

Lexie was sitting at the hospital coffee shop, she took the free moment to scan Google Earth on her laptop. Her fellow resident, George O’Malley, droned on and on about how tough he was finding residency, even after repeating his intern year. Lexie mostly ignored his petty complaints.

“Shut up,” Lexie whispered.

“I’m sorry, what?” he asked, not believing the sweet Lexie Grey would tell him to ‘shut up’.

“I said, ‘shut up’,” Lexie replied.

“Wow, rude much, Dr. Grey?”

“I’m trying to concentrate,” Lexie replied, distractedly. She looked away from the computer for a second and saw hurt on George’s face. She sighed. “Come here look at this tell me what you see?”

“Look at what?”

“George, just shut up and come look at this. Please?”

The other doctor got up and moved to sit directly next to Lexie so he could look at the image on her laptop. He leaned in close and studied the photo.

“What do you think that is?” Lexie asked.

“Um, it looks like a white dot to me. Maybe some clouds?”

“Yeah,” Lexie leaned in closer, “yeah, it definitely looks like clouds… but, Google earth just updated this image. Look at the timestamp.”

“Okay? I don’t understand.”

“This image, the white dot, was in the old photo too.”

“So?”

“So, why would the exact same cloud be in the exact same spot in images taken three years apart?”

“So we’re thinking… not a cloud?”

“Nope, not a cloud… an island. It’s an island hidden under a cloud,” Lexie grabbed George’s biceps and shook him. “A crazy mist that never goes away!”

“And why are we so excited about this?” George asked, clueless as to the importance of this discovery to his fellow resident.

Lexie jumped up and started packing up her laptop, “I’m excited, George because of what this means.”

“And what is that?” George asked.

“It means,” Lexie smiled. “I’m not crazy, and I need to take another leave of absence.”

**

“Skipper!” Cristina bellowed. She was angry. “This plan is crazy. It’s going to get you killed.”

Callie had finally given the suspicious Arizona the slip, and had taken Cristina to the spot where the raft had been built. She was showing her first mate all of her and Arizona’s hard work.

“I have to try something… if I don’t…,” Callie’s voice was heavy with emotion, she was at the end of her rope and she had decided it was time to enact her plan. She needed Cristina onboard, figuratively speaking.  “If I don’t, Meredith and the baby…,”she couldn’t bring herself to say the words. “She’s your person, Cristina. I thought you’d understand.”

“Yeah, she’s my person, but  _you_  are my captain,” Cristina said. “I don’t want anything to happen to either of you. Arizona’s plan will work, you just have to be patient.”

“We are running out of time. If we don’t get off of this island,” this time the words came, “Meredith and the baby will  _die_ , we both know it.”

“So you would trade your life for theirs? Yours  _and_  the professor’s? Does she know how tiny the chance of success this stupid plan of yours has?”

“I would never risk her, Cristina,” Callie looked around to make sure they were truly alone. “She won’t be going with me.”

“You think she’s going to let you get on that  _thing_  you constructed without her?”

“I have a plan,” Callie said softly. “She’ll be fine. But…uh, I’ll need your help.”

“Help with what?” Cristina was skeptical, she didn’t want to lie to anyone.

“I promise, I’ll explain everything before I go… just, can I count on you?”

“You’re my captain and my friend, of course you can count on me.”

**

The perfect storm was coming. The wind had picked up, and the sky was dark and angry.

It had been two weeks since the previous rain, and everyone had hoped that with just another few days rain free, they could get the meteorite out of the crater. Even Callie’s hopes had been raised, but their dreams had been dashed when Cristina’s homemade barometer had indicated and incoming low pressure system.

Cristina and Arizona had led a desperate attempt to get the large rock to the top of the hill and out of the crater. Everyone, except Meredith, had pitched in and they actually moved the meteorite to hilltop, but the rain started in earnest, bogging them down before cresting the brink. Now it would be days again before they could move it further.

Dejected and dirty they made their way back to the caves where Meredith had been moved for safety. The tired wet group made their way into the cave to find Meredith barely conscious, she was now entering her 27th week of pregnancy and her body was failing under the strain.

Derek turned to others, desperate for help, “We have to do something,” he cried. “Someone please… do something.”

The time had come, there was no putting it off anymore. Callie and Arizona had to launch their raft first thing in the morning.

**

Callie and Arizona returned to their hut to prepare for their departure in the morning, neither wanting to spend the night in the cave with the others.

Callie was frantic to connect with Arizona one last time, she kissed her roughly and frantically. Arizona tried to slow her down, she wasn’t sure where the tears and desperation were coming from, but Callie didn’t seem to want to talk… she just wanted to make love to Arizona. Over and over, until, eventually, she broke down and cried on the blonde’s shoulder. Assuming the circumstances of Meredith’s decline and their impending excursion to be the problem, Arizona whispered soothing words of comfort in the brunette’s ear.

“We’re going to be fine, Callie. I promise. We’ll all be fine,” and she believed they would be, as long as they were together.

But just in case Callie had nefarious plans of sneaking away in the night, Arizona didn’t sleep. Callie wasn’t getting away without her.

**

Alex and Owen helped push the raft through the churning waves, and Callie and Arizona paddled hard to get into the current that would take them north. Once they reached the area where the current turned to circle around the top of island, Callie would deploy her sails, hopefully pushing past the strong current and avoiding the dangerous rock formations that beached the Minnow.

Owen and Alex had both tried to take the place of the two women, but Callie insisted if this plan had any chance of success it needed someone who could sail and navigate the treacherous waters.

The water was choppy, but so far the two women had made it into the mist and to the current without incident. They stopped their hard paddling, and let the current pull them while they rested their arms.

Both women were breathing heavy, and their life-vests restricted their movements somewhat. Callie had the radio beacon strapped tightly to her body, the signal already beeping.

“So far, so good, right?” Arizona turned to the brunette and smiled. Her relief at being on the raft with Callie was palatable. Now that they were away together, she no longer needed to fear Callie leaving her behind. “I can’t believe how well this raft is moving. You are amazing, you know that?”

“Arizona,” Callie whispered, her throat clogged with emotion. “I’m going to need you to move to the inflatable now.”

“Okay,” Arizona did as she was told quickly and without question. She trusted Callie to keep them safe. “Is it time to deploy the sails?”

“Yeah, it’s that time.”

“Okay, I’m ready. You think it’s going to be a rough ride?”

“Probably,” Callie went to work on the ropes lashing the inflatable boat to the raft. Tears streaming from her face the whole time.

“Callie?” Arizona looked puzzled. “What are you doing? Callie!” Panic quickly setting in for the blonde.

The skipper ignored Arizona’s plea, and kept working at releasing the inflatable from the raft.

“Calliope, you aren’t cutting me loose,” Arizona tried to get back to the bamboo raft, but the waves kept knocking her back into the buoyant yellow one. “Callie, stop.”

“I can’t, Arizona. Don’t you see? I need you to be safe to do what I have to do.”

“So you are what? Just letting me go? Just like that?”

“You know as well as I do that the current will return you safely to the lagoon. Cristina will be there waiting for you.”

“Callie, why are you doing this?”

“Because I love you, Arizona,” Callie’s face broke, “And I can’t risk you.”

“You lied to me. You looked me in the face and lied to me, how can you say you love me?” Arizona was beyond angry.

Both women were shouting to be heard over the wind and waves.

“Everything I do for you is because I love you, Arizona. I hope one day you’ll believe that.” She untied the final rope that was holding the two rafts together.

“I’ll never forgive you for this!” Arizona was scared and angry, and she couldn’t stop that anger from spewing forth in the moment. “If you die…. I’ll never forgive you.”

“Goodbye, professor. I love you.”

Callie turned and deployed her sails. The wind immediately picked up, and pushed the raft forward. Callie was thrown to floor of her raft as the sails became caught in the wind’s powerful grasp.

The last thing Arizona saw was Callie taking a rope from the raft and wrapping it tightly around her arm to secure her in place. Then, just like that, the skipper was gone. Her tiny craft out of site.

**

Arizona laid herself back in the inflatable raft and cried. The wind was whipping, the rain cold on her skin, and the waves tossed her up and down, but she didn’t care. She was so angry at Callie and angry at herself for not telling Callie that she loved her too. For letting Callie go with only angry words to keep with her.

An hour later, when she finally washed up in the lagoon, she’d tried to rid herself of all emotion.

“Are you okay?” Cristina asked, with a surprising amount of sincerity.

“I’m fine,” Arizona lied. She made to walk past Callie’s first mate, who she was angry with also, because she had also lied by omission, but she couldn’t bring herself to maintain the anger. Her face contorted in anguish, and she turned to Callie’s longtime friend and asked, “Is there anything we can do for her?”

“Pray,” Cristina simply said. “If you believe in that sort of thing.”

**

A week had passed since Callie left the island on the raft. Arizona had barely spoken to anyone. She was too distraught.

Meredith had been in and out of consciousness, and no sign of rescue had been detected. They listened to the radio nonstop for the first few days, and the only thing that had given Arizona a tiny bit of hope was that they could hear the ever-present beep of Callie’s distress call. Then, suddenly, on day four the beeping stopped, and shortly after that the battery in their radio quit.

They were on their own again. Hope was practically nonexistent. They had one set of replacement batteries left, and those were being saved for when the interference in the communication was cleared—Owen, Cristina, Addison, April, and Alex were once again focused on moving the meteorite. They couldn’t afford to waste the batteries until they were sure they could get a signal out.

The mud had mostly dried, but the meteorite was still a little bogged down. At first Arizona hadn’t wanted to try anymore, but a rousing speech from her fellow castaways about giving up had put her back in the game. They all worked together and made a mat of bamboo to try and use for traction—as a base to get the meteorite out of the drying mud. With tremendous effort from everyone, they finally got the meteorite over the hilltop and onto level terrain.

They all slid to the ground, in various spots at the top of the crater, tired from their exertion.

“We did it, professor,” April said after catching her breath. She looked at the others, “We have a shot now, right?”

“Yeah,” Alex agreed. “It will only take us a few days to get this thing to the lava. Then, we can try to radio the skipper.”

Arizona sat in the mud and burst into tears. She sobbed so hard her whole body shook with power of her grief.

“Hey,” Addison moved next to the weeping woman and rubbed her back. “It’s okay. We can call help, find her now.”

“No, we can’t,” Arizona managed. She wanted to push Addison away, she didn’t want comfort. She wanted to cry and scream and rage. But she didn’t. She steadied herself, choked back her tears. She was a good man in a storm. She resigned herself to the truth and released a shuttering breath. “She only had enough water for maybe five days. We’ll be too late. If she survived the trip and made it out into the open ocean and she hasn’t reached help by now, she’s likely dead. Or will be soon.”

**

Callie was sunburned and dehydrated, she lay on what was left of the raft. Her beacon had stopped working a few days prior, and her water ran out the day before or was it the day before that? She couldn’t remember the last time she had a drink. She thought she’d been on the raft for a week, maybe more. The sun beat down on her relentlessly, the sail she’d been using for shade and protection was lost in the night several days before. She knew she didn’t have much time left.

She closed her eyes and dreamed of a life with Arizona at her side. The dream took many forms over the hours, but they were always together, always happy, always in love. In her current favorite they had a house and two beautiful children, a dog, and strangely enough… chickens.

“I have a weird thing for chickens,” Arizona said.

Callie blinked her eyes open, she lifted her hand to shield the sun. She smiled at the sight before her. Arizona was in the yellow inflatable boat and had pulled up next to the broken and beaten thing that Callie now floated on.

“You’re here?” Callie’s lips cracked with the effort.

“Of course I’m here,” Arizona whispered. “I couldn’t leave you alone.”

“Am I hallucinating?”

“Does it matter?”

“No,” Callie smiled, ignoring the pain it caused her chapped and burned skin. “I’m glad you’re here. You... didn’t happen to bring some water… did you?”

“Unfortunately, I did not,” Arizona replied. “I need you to do something for me, Callie, okay? Can you do something for me? We don’t have much time.”

“Anything… for you,” Callie replied, her voice weak.

“I need you to try to sit up… and look,” Arizona pointed toward a small ship that was making its way across the horizon. “You have to get their attention, Callie.”

Callie nodded to the blonde, her head pounding and tongue dry. It took every bit of energy she had, but she managed to reach inside her life vest and remove the flare gun she had tucked away in a plastic Ziploc bag that they had salvaged from the Minnow. Her hands were shaking from the effort, but she succeeded in opening the bag. However, the gun slid out of her trembling grasp and slid across the bamboo floor of her raft. It stopped right at the edge. Callie slowly drug her body toward the teetering flare gun.

“Hurry, Callie, before they are out of range,” Arizona demanded. “You have to hurry.”

Callie grabbed the flare gun and held it as far over her head as her tired body would allow and she squeezed the trigger. The sound popped in her ear and she collapsed backwards onto the raft, her energy spent.

“Thank you,” she tried to tell to the blonde, but Arizona was gone. The yellow raft was gone. Callie was alone. “Thank you,” she whispered again as the blackness took her.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note : I WAS WRONG THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER! IT TOOK AN UNEXPECTED TURN AND NOW THERE IS MORE.

Callie’s head was heavy and her eyelids felt glued shut. She licked her lips and forced her eyes to open. All she saw was bright light, so bright. She thought she heard someone saying her name, but the light was too bright. She closed her eyes again and drifted back to her dreams.

The next time she opened her eyes it wasn’t as bright, and she definitely heard voices. She zeroed in on one voice in particular.

“Torres?” the voice was clear and recognizable. “Are you really awake this time?”

She blinked her eyes and the familiar scruffy mug of her best friend was suddenly in her line of site, smiling at her.

“Mark?” she croaked.

“Don’t try to talk,” he said. “Do you know where you are?”

She shook her head ‘no’ and tried to sit up, but she couldn’t get her body to cooperate. She tried to look around, still confused as to her location. Was she in a hospital?

“You took a nasty bump on the head,” he replied. “You’ve been in a coma for weeks.”

“What?” she asked. She didn’t remember hitting her head. The last thing she remembered was Arizona telling her to shoot the flare. “Arizona?” she looked around desperately for the other woman.

“No, Miami.”

Callie shook her head again, “no,” she whispered. “The others, where are they? Did you find them? Yang? Arizona… Professor Robbins?”

“Oh, the professor,” Mark finally realized who Callie was asking for. “I think she went back to New York.”

“New York…?” Callie was disappointed the other woman wasn’t there for her. “You found the island… but she didn’t stay?”

“What island? And why would she stay? She was just a passenger on a charter.”

“Mark, tell me what happened,” Callie voice was becoming stronger. “Tell me now.”

“You were on a voyage when an unbelievable storm hit, but you made it through. The Minnow was tossed and turned, but it wasn’t lost. You saved it. But you got hit on the head. Cristina managed to get you guys back to Miami…”

“No, that’s not….” Callie grabbed her head. The pain. “That’s not what happened, Mark. We were shipwrecked for months. She loves me! Arizona loves me! I know she loves me. She wouldn’t leave. This is wrong, it’s all wrong,” She looked at Mark with desperation, he just smiled back, almost in a sinister way.  “What are you smiling at? This is wrong! It’s wrong… it’s wrong….” She repeated over and over.

 Mark’s smiling face contorted into something menacing, his laugh mocking her, “How could she love you, Callie? You left her behind. You left her… you left her….”

His ominous visage became blurry and Callie’s eyes became heavy, her stomach churned, and blackness took her once again.

**

The next time Callie opened her eyes it was a lot easier. The light wasn’t as bright, her eyelids not as heavy, the sounds not as piercing. She let her tired gaze drift over what appeared to be a hospital room. The soft rhythmic beeping of her heart the monitor confirmed her location, but something wasn’t right… there were no windows and the room was extremely small.

She tried to sit up to get a better look, when someone jumped from the dark corner of the room, “Whoa, whoa, whoa… not so fast. Take it slow, let me help you.” The woman was young, mid-twenties, she had a pixie cut and adorably nerdy glasses. “You were severely dehydrated and heat exhausted, you’ve also been hallucinating.”

“Where am I?”

“You are on the United States Coast Guard Cutter _Bokhee_ , based out of Key West. Commanding Officer, Captain….”

“Richard Webber,” Callie tried to smile. “I made it?”

“You made it, Captain Torres.”

“The others?”

“We’re working on it.”

“How… what?”

“So many questions, of course. We found you… two days ago. It was a miracle. We searched for months after the crash, but… nothing. We gave up, went home. You guys were pronounced….. Then… I found the island on a satellite image. We chartered a ship and we heard a distress call, but it stopped before we could pinpoint its location. After the distress called stopped transmitting, we preceded on to the coordinates of the island, but we couldn’t find it… It was almost like it was invisible. So… we were giving up again. Going home. That’s when we saw your flare.”

“Uh, who are you exactly?”

“Oh, um… I’m Lexie Grey, and I’m here with…”

The door to the small medical room pulled open and the tall grey haired Mark Sloan stepped in, “Torres! You’re awake!” he turned to Lexie, “She’s not hallucinating like the last time is she?”

“No, she’s lucid,” Lexie smiled. “She’s fully awake this time. You can…” she pointed to Callie indicating to the man that he could go sit, and touch her.

He came and sat right on the bed, and took her hand in his and squeezed it as tight as he dared. His gray-blue eyes filled with tears. He swiped some of her unkempt hair off of her forehead, “God, you scared me. I thought I’d lost you, Callie. We had a funeral and everything.”

Callie just nodded, the lump in her throat too large to speak, so Mark just wrapped her in his strong arms.

Lexie gave them a moment to collect themselves, then she continued, “When we found you, you were in really bad shape. You almost died.”

“Luckily, Lex, here is a doctor,” Mark stood, allowing Callie to lay back against her pillow again, she was still weakened from her ordeal. “She made sure we had plenty of medical supplies on the charter and we were able to cool you and hydrate you until the Coast Guard arrived, we moved you to this ship because of its medical capabilities, and uh… here we are.”

“Yeah, you were the proof we needed to get the Coast Guard involved.”

“And the hand drawn maps and notes you had stashed in your vest, they were invaluable.”

“So… you found the island?”

“We have,” Mark replied.

“But we can’t get close,” Lexie added. “And they aren’t answering our hails.”

“They wouldn’t,” Callie said, her voice still a little rough, “They’ll be saving the batteries in the radio until they could destroy the meteorite.”

“Speaking of the rock, the Navy is in route, they want to get their hands on that thing you described. They are very interested in its capabilities.”

“Of course they are,” Callie sighed. Mark was giving her a look that said there was more, but he looked reluctant to talk about it in front of Lexie, so Callie feigned a cough, then looked to young doctor and asked.  “Can I get some water?”

“Yeah, I’ll just…,” she pointed toward the door and left the two old friends together.

“What aren’t you telling me Mark?”

“The Navy won’t let us attempt a rescue, they ordered us not to go near the island,” Mark explained. “But it’s just a few days, they can handle that, right?”

“No, no… Meredith…,” Callie pointed to the door the Lexie has just left through. “Lexie’s sister?

“Lexie’s sister,” Mark confirmed.

“Meredith is pregnant, and not doing well at all, Mark. She may not _have_ a few days. It’s why I had to gamble with the raft. You have to do something.”

“Do what? Go against the United States Navy?”

“You have to, or Lexie’s sister is as good as dead.”

“I’m sorry… what?” Neither Mark nor Callie had noticed the woman at the entrance to the small room.

“Lex,” Mark went over to her, he took the glass of water out of her hand and sat it on the small table by the door. He went straight back to the younger woman and engulfed her with his arms. “How much of that did you hear?”

“Not much,” she replied into his shoulder, then she pulled back and looked at Callie, “Just the ‘sister good as dead’ part. What do you mean?”

“Can I…?” Callie pointed to the glass of water.

Mark looked sheepish, he’d been so worried about Lexie… he forgot to give Callie her water. “Sorry, Torres.”

Callie just coughed in response, then took a sip of the coolest, most refreshing ship water she’d ever tasted. “God, that’s good,” she sighed.

“Captain Torres? Please tell me about my sister,” Lexie begged.

“I’m so sorry, Lexie, but your sister is… pregnant.”

A range of emotions passed over the young doctor’s face, from joy to outright fear. “That’s… that’s not bad, right?”

“Derek thinks she has preeclampsia,” Callie said. “She was struggling to stay conscious when I left. We need to get to them. Now.”

“How?” Lexie asked, her voice desperate. “What can we do?”

“I think a small boat could get to the island, it’d lose power as it got close, but if you had enough momentum, you could get into the current that would drop you into the lagoon.”

“How are we going to get a boat?” Mark asked. “The Coast Guard isn’t going to go against orders.”

“No, no… they wouldn’t. But my old friend Commander Miranda Bailey would, she’d do it for me. Please, please tell me she’s onboard?”

Mark and Lexie looked at each and then back to Callie and smiled.

“She’s onboard.”

**

The mood in the cave—where they had all taken up residence since Meredith couldn’t be moved and Callie had… disappeared—was somber.

The now very pregnant doctor was in and out of consciousness, and Derek was desperately doing what he could to keep her safe. Which wasn’t much. If they didn’t get the meteorite destroyed soon, he’d have to consider delivering the baby early. The result of which would likely be the death of his child, but he thought, hoped, he could maybe save Meredith.

Along with the constant anxiety about Meredith’s condition, the others were starting to worry about the Professor Robbins too. She wasn’t eating or sleeping as well as she should have been.

On the other side of the cave, she was still mourning what she thought for sure was death of her lover. The professor been quiet and listless for days. She didn’t even smile when they got the meteorite to the edge of the lava this evening. One more day was all they needed to position the meteorite to be destroyed. The lack of light and the dangerous terrain around the lava flow called for extra caution, so they had returned to cave at nightfall. They would start again at first light.

 “Professor, you need to eat something,” April said.

“I’m not hungry,” she replied.

“Come on,” Addison urged. “Callie wouldn’t want you to do this and you know it.”

“Well, she’s not fucking here, is she?” Arizona retorted irritably, she’d been angry since Callie went missing. “So she doesn’t get a say in when or what I eat.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one who swears like that?” said a familiar voice from the mouth of the cave, “You know… being a sailor and all.”

“Skipper? Is that you?” Cristina jumped from her spot next to the fire, grabbed a torch and walked toward the voice.

Callie took a step forward into the cave, as she did she moved into the light put off by Cristina’s light. She was being supported by a tall man with greying hair, and next to them was a young woman. Both carried large packs.

Arizona slowly stood from her blanket in the corner, she swallowed hard, tears filling her eyes. Callie was sunburned and her skin was peeling, and she was obviously weak, but the professor had never seen a more beautiful sight.

 “Callie? You’re alive?”

“I am,” Callie took a step away from her support and into the waiting arms of the blonde professor. They stood there in a tight embrace and wept onto each other’s shoulders.

“I thought you were dead,” Arizona sobbed. “I waited for days and days…. And you didn’t come… I thought you were dead.”

“I’m not dead,” Callie soothed the other woman. “I’m here. I’m never leaving you again.” This seemed to bring Arizona out of her relieved joy and straight back into her anger.

Arizona pulled away from the brunette and said, “I’m so, so mad you, Calliope Torres. So mad.”

“I know, you should be. But later, okay? Right now I just want you to hold me.”

And so she did.

**

Derek made his way to the mouth of the cave, “Lexie?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” her voice cracked with emotion. “Meredith?”

“She’s back here,” Derek led the young woman to the back of the cave. “She’s sick, Lex.”

“I know, Callie told us. I have methyldopa for her blood pressure and steroids for the baby. It’s the best I could do with what we had on the cutter.”

“This may help,” he scanned the supplies, “but we need to get her off the island,” Derek said. “We need to get the baby out.”

**

“We can’t get off the island,” Callie announced. They’d helped her into the cave, and she sat by the fire surrounded by all of her eager-for-news friends. “Not until we destroy the meteorite.”

“We couldn’t even get close with the cutter,” Mark explained. “The US Coast Guard is out there, and the only way for us to get in touch with you was to come to the island on a small boat.”

“And we had to ‘steal’ that,” Callie added.

“I don’t understand,” Arizona replied. “Why would you have to steal it?”

“The Navy wants that rock of yours,” Mark replied. “They ordered us, well the _Bokhee_ , to stay put and await their arrival.”

“What the hell is a Bokhee?” Addison asked.

“The Bokhee is a United States Coast Guard Cutter,” Mark explained. “It’s a Medium endurance cutter, two hundred and seventy foot from stem to stern…”

“You could have just said ‘big boat’,” Addison cut him off. “We would have gotten the point.”

“What do you mean they ordered you to stay put?” Cristina asked.

“The Bokhee was under orders from naval command to suspend the rescue operations,” Mark replied to the small group of castaways. “They were ordered to stand down, watch the area, but not approach the island.”

“Why?” Arizona shook her head, trying to understand.

“That big rock of yours,” Mark replied. “They seem to think it’s important.”

“Oh, it is… But,” She looked back and forth between Mark and Callie, “how did they even know about it?”

Callie raised her hand, and dropped her head in shame. “Me,” she said, “they heard it from me. I had written down everything I knew about the meteorite, its impact on our communications, and the island. I had it stashed it inside my vest. So that, even if I had died, and they just recovered my body, they would have known where and how to find you.”

“Why did that require you stealing a boat from the coast guard?” April asked. “You couldn’t just wait for the Navy to arrive? They can’t be that far off.”

“Because the Navy has no intentions of destroying that meteorite,” Owen answered.

“Exactly,” Callie replied. “And the only safe way to get Meredith off of this island is via airlift.”

“Ah,” Arizona clued in. “And the only way we can make that happen is to destroy the meteorite.”

“Wait, how does the United States Navy even have jurisdiction or whatever? Aren’t we out in the middle of the ocean?”

“Actually,” Mark said, “you are only a few hundred miles north of Puerto Rico. Directly in the Bermuda Triangle.”

“Get out!” Addison replied. “You are joking. The fucking Bermuda Triangle, how cliché.”

“I’m not kidding, you are in the Bermuda Triangle, cliché or not,” Mark smiled, still a little in awe of conversing with the famous woman, even under the circumstances. He was kind of star struck.

“We are at the very tip of US territory,” Callie added. “The Navy can do whatever they want.”

Owen and Alex were already on their feet, “We need to go do it tonight,” Owen said.

“They’ll parachute in,” Alex said.

“Right,” Owen agreed. “This island will be crawling with paratroopers in no time, and then… we won’t have the chance to destroy that thing. We’ll be at their mercy.”

“Oh, come on,” April said. “It’s the US Navy, they aren’t the bad guys!”

“And no one is saying they are,” Callie reassured the young woman. “They just have a different priority than we do, that’s all. We aren’t saying they have evil intentions.”

“With the importance of that monopole—the potential impact it could have on such a wide range of fields. Evil, good, or neutral intentions don’t matter, they’ll want control of it at the very least. We don’t want that falling into the wrong hands.” Arizona said. “And… If anyone else intercepted the transmission, it might not _just_ be the US military we have to worry about.”

“Right, it’s a race again time. Meredith’s safety won’t be a priority,” Cristina finished her thought. “If we don’t destroy it ourselves, we won’t be able to get a chopper in time. Meredith will not be an ‘acceptable loss’.”

“We need to go now.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Previously**

_“With the importance of that monopole—the potential impact it could have on such a wide range of fields. Evil, good, or neutral intentions don’t matter, they’ll want control of it at the very least. We don’t want that falling into the wrong hands.” Arizona said. “And… If anyone else intercepted the transmission, it might not just be the US military we have to worry about.”_

_“Right, it’s a race against time. Meredith’s safety won’t be a priority,” Cristina finished her thought. “If we don’t destroy it ourselves, we won’t be able to get a chopper in time. Meredith will not be an ‘acceptable loss’.”_

_“We need to go now.”_

**

It was decided that Alex and Owen would leave immediately for the meteorite, and the others would gather some supplies and follow soon after. 

Arizona stood from her spot by the fire and made to leave Callie’s side. She needed to get some of her gear to ready herself for a nighttime trek to the meteorite. Callie had been leaning heavily on her as they sat, so when she stepped away, Callie’s strength faltered. The exhausted ship’s captain couldn’t get up from sitting position without help from Mark.

Arizona came scurrying back to her side, “Calliope, are you okay? What happened?”

“She hasn’t recovered her strength yet,” Mark replied. “She just regained consciousness this afternoon. She hallucinated for two days after we found her. She was dehydrated and she’s barely eaten, but she was also determined to get back onto this island. To you.”

“Callie, you shouldn’t have come,” Arizona admonished the other woman. 

“Mark and Lexie never would have found you,” Callie insisted.  Mark released her from his strong grasp and Callie reached out for Arizona’s hand. “Come on, let’s go get your stuff. You need to go help destroy that thing.”

“Okay, but I need for you to sit with me a minute,” Arizona asked. 

“There is no time, Arizona,” Callie insisted. “You need to go. That thing… Meredith…”

“I know, I know… I have a few minutes. Alex and Owen are already on their way. Five minutes won’t change anything. I need to talk to you. Alone. Before we go. Please,” she practically begged.

“Of course.” Callie looked toward Mark who understood exactly what she wanted. He reached into the the backpack and pulled another travel lantern out and handed it to her. It was like the one they used to find their way to the cave, which was now in Alex and Owen’s possession.

Arizona steered Callie to the small area in the cave that had become hers since they abandoned the huts in the skipper’s absence. 

Callie sat immediately and illuminated the area with the battery powered LED lantern. Before she even had a chance to sit the light down, Arizona was kissing her. The kisses were soft, but desperate and needy and Callie returned them with every ounce of strength she had. Her lips were dry and cracked from her ordeal, but that pain didn’t matter. Not in this moment—in this moment, nothing mattered but Arizona. 

The moment didn’t last, however, as Arizona’s lips slowed their assault and gentle kisses were eventually replaced with salty tears. Those tears turned into sobs and Callie held the other woman tight through her breakdown. 

Arizona finally whispered, “I thought I lost you, Callie.” She took a deep breath and pulled back and looked Callie in the eyes. “I thought you were dead and I was devastated. I… thought you were dead and I didn’t get to tell you…”

“Tell me what?” Callie asked in anticipation. 

“That I love you, too.”

Callie released the breath she was holding and her eyes fluttered closed, “You do?”

“I do,” Arizona replied. “I’m sorry I didn’t say it on the raft. I’m sorry….”

“Shhhh,” Callie shushed the other woman. “Don’t. You didn't have to say it, because deep down I already knew.”

“Promise me, though…” Arizona swallowed. “Promise me, you’ll never leave me like that again. I can’t… handle it.”

“I promise I will never _willingly_ leave you again.”

“Hey, that’s a qualifier. No qualifiers.”

Callie smiled at the other woman, “Arizona, listen. Nothing is going to come between us now. Our ordeal is almost over. We are already rescued, you know? The Coast Guard is just a few miles off shore. We are going home, Professor Robbins. Together.”

“We are, aren’t we,” Arizona sighed. She closed her eyes and leaned into Callie.

“We definitely are,” Callie agreed. “You have one more task to fulfill to save us _all._ ”

Arizona’s voice broke when she spoke. “Okay, I know, but I don’t want to leave you.”

“I can’t go with you. I don’t have the energy to walk that far. I’ll slow you down,” Callie said.

“It’s going to be difficult flipping the meteorite into the lava without all hands. I know you and Meredith can’t, but Derek won’t want to leave his wife.”

“Mark is strong, he’ll be a big help… and I bet Derek can be convince if you leave Lexie,” Callie replied. “She’s a doctor, she can look after Meredith.”

“But I don’t want to leave you,” Arizona said. “You’re weak and…”

“I’m not completely helpless. I’ll be fine here.”

“I know,” Arizona sighed. Her feelings were a complicated mess of relief, fear, anger, and love. And they were all directed at Captain Callie Torres. “I just… I thought I lost you. I was so scared. I can’t lose you again.”

“I know and I’m so sorry. I promise, when we get home to Miami, I’ll make it up to you. Okay?”

“Okay,” Arizona resigned herself to leaving Callie in the cave. “I’d better get the others and head out.” She grabbed a few supplies, and stood to leave. 

“Hey, Professor?”

Arizona turned to look at the skipper who was still sitting in her little corner of the cave. “Hmm?”

“I love you.”

**

The group of castaways, plus Mark Sloan, made their way across the island toward the volcano. The trip took an hour on foot at a steady pace, which didn’t leave much room for conversation.

Arizona didn’t know the tall grey-brown haired man that was Callie’s best friend, she wanted to trust him, because Callie trusted him, but she was cautious by nature and needed some reassurance. About halfway through their journey, when they stopped for a short water break, she pulled Cristina aside, the only person other than Callie that knew the man, to ask her a few questions about his loyalties.

“You trust this guy?” she asked.

“Who, Sloan?” Cristina asked.

“Yeah, is he… you know… a good guy?”

“Well, I wouldn’t trust him with April’s virtue, but _Arizona,”_ Cristina grabbed the other woman’s arm to emphasize her point “We’ve been on this island for almost eight months and he was still out there looking for Callie. That’s gotta be good for some loyal friendship points, right?”

“Oh, yeah. You’re right, that’s some pretty solid evidence of dedication,” Arizona admitted, her expression suddenly changed. “Wait… do you think he loves her?”

“Of course he loves her, but not… loves her loves her. You don’t have to worry about that, Professor, trust me,” Cristina said. “Plus, I saw him kiss that Lexie chick goodbye before we left.”

“And do we trust her? Callie is in the cave with her. Is she good doctor?”

“I don’t know,” Cristina shrugged. “I don’t know her at all.”

“How do you not know Meredith’s sister?” Arizona asked. “I thought you guys used to be good friends before you got struck by lightning.”

“Meredith didn’t have a sister when I knew her, this is a new development, but she’s here too and neither Callie nor Derek seemed to have a problem with her, so yeah… I trust her too.”

“Okay, then,” Arizona nodded. “We should get moving.”

**

The glow of the lava gave the area an unearthly feel, and the ash and smell of sulfur didn’t help dispel the illusion of otherworldliness.

Having been close to the lava flow many times, our castaways were used to the effect and came prepared with rags to wet and cover their face. Even though he’d been equipped by the others with his own rag, Mark was mentally unprepared for what lay before him. He’d never been so close to a volcano before and was dumbstruck with awe at the sight.

“Wow,” the newcomer said as they moved closer to the meteorite. He pointed to where Owen and Alex waited by the large extraterrestrial object. “Is that the rock?”

“It’s a meteorite, and yes that is it,” Arizona replied.

“How the hell are we going to move that thing?” Mark exclaimed. He stopped his forward motion, and stood stock still. 

“Very carefully,” Arizona stopped walking and replied.

“Impossible!” he shouted. “No way we move that thing.”

“Don’t be an ass, Sloan,” Cristina said coming up behind the two. “We got it this far with only a few small rocks and wooden levers. We can do this. Also, it’s not as heavy as it looks. Come on.”

Owen and Alex stood up from where they were resting by the meteorite when they saw the lights from the lanterns that Mark and Lexie had brought with them from the ship. Owen waved at them to quicken their pace.“Come on, we need to hurry,” he shouted. “I thought I heard something earlier—a motor or engine of some sort. I’m afraid we may no longer alone on the island.”

“Let’s go,” Arizona yelled, her tone determined. “Quickly!”

Mark started to jog toward the meteorite but when he got to within a few dozen feet unwitting ran directly into the invisible magnetic force that surrounded the meteorite. He was moving just fast enough to be thrown backwards onto the ground. Derek put hand out to help the flat-on-his-back man up.

“What the hell was that?” Mark groaned.

“You aren’t hiding anything on your person are you? Something metal?” Arizona asked.

“What if I was?”

“Do you not understand the concept of giant mono-magnetic meteorite? It’s only has one pole,” Cristina replied.

“I _don't_ know what that means, to be totally honest,” Mark brushed the dirt off of his ass.

“Generally, magnets both attract and repel other magnets and ferromagnetic materials like iron and steel,” Arizona explained. “This one only repels. So whatever it is you have in your pack, you need to take it out. You can’t get close. Nothing ferromagnetic can. Actually, we’ve found that it even somewhat repels lead, copper, and aluminum.”

Mark sighed and reached into his back pack and pulled out a gun.

“Oh my god!” Addison exclaimed. “You’re armed?”

“Dude,” Alex and Owen had joined the others where they stood— just outside of what the castaways had been calling the force field zone.

“What your problem?” Mark directed at Alex. 

“Nothing,” Alex replied. “I was going to say good going. We may need a gun.”

“I wouldn’t recommend waving that thing about when the Navy arrives, though,” Owen replied.

“I’m not stupid,” Mark defended. “It’s not for the Navy guys… It’s for pirates.”

“Pirates?” Addison laughed. “Are you insane?”

“There are no pirates anymore,” April added, then her expression changed to one of panic. “Are there?”

“There are,” Cristina said, “and they are actually not that rare. But they aren’t like ‘argh matey’ with eye patches and peg legs. And most don’t even come with parrots on their shoulders.”

“They’re predominately drug runners and freelance smugglers who rob pleasure yachts for fun,” Mark added.

“So why would we need to be afraid of them here and now,” Derek finally broke the silence he’d been keeping since he’d been forced to leave his wife in the cave. “Are Meredith and Lexie safe? And the Skipper?”

“Callie and Commander Bailey, our ally on the Coast Guard cutter, were a little worried about pirates intercepting communications. Bailey feared they’d arrive before the Navy,” Mark replied. “But it’s okay, Callie has a gun too.”

“She can barely walk!” Arizona firmly stated. “How could you let us leave them there?”

“I’ve gotta go back,” Derek said. 

“No,” Mark grabbed Derek by the arm. “I don’t know you, but I know Lexie and she is worried about her sister… your wife’s health. If we don’t destroy this thing, she’s not getting off this island, right? Pirates won’t matter if she dies before we can get this thing in the lava. The professor said we need all hands here.”

Arizona sighed, “he’s right, Derek, we do need us all to flip that thing.”

“Okay,” Derek relented. “But as soon as it’s in the lava, I’m heading back.”

“Deal,” Arizona agreed. “And I’ll go with you.”

“We should hurry,” Owen said. 

“Yeah, Sloan,” Cristina interjected. “Stash your pack and let’s get this thing gone.”

**

“So how are we doing this?”

“Gravity and leverage,” Arizona simply replied. “You see we need to build up some wedges on the backside, then use all of our strength to rock the meteorite up on the front side. Once we have it up, it should flip right over the wedges… and see how we have it placed just above the natural incline?”

“Yeah,” Mark replied. “So then gravity will just…”

“Flip it over and down, right into the flow of the lava.”

“And what exactly is the lava going to do? Melt it?”

“It doesn’t have to melt,” Cristina replied. “It just has to get hot enough that it demagnetizes, that should stop with the electromagnetic interference enough to allow for a helicopter to fly in on the other side of the island and airlift Meredith to safety.”

“Let’s do this,” Derek said. “Now.”

**

For the next half hour the women worked to dig a decent size groove under the back face of the meteorite, while the men moved wood and rocks to use as wedges under it.

Once everything was in position, when the meteorite was ready for them to attempt the flip, they took a few moments to have some water and rally their strength. 

They sat in smack dab front of the meteorite, the lava flow just a few feet behind them. They were silent, each person distracted by the thoughts in their own heads. Arizona and Derek were worried about the women they love back in the cave on the other side of the island, Mark too, was worried about Lexie. Owen and Alex each worried over the Navy showing up and stopping them before they could  finish. Alex wouldn’t stop without a fight, but Owen worried over his ability to disobey a direct order. Addison was hungry and tired and just wanted to get home, maybe write a screenplay about all of this. April couldn’t stop thinking about pirates and Cristina wanted a drink.

They were so distracted they didn’t see or hear the two men who were standing just beyond the light being emitted from the lava and their torches. Until they spoke.

“No te muevas!” Shouted the guy on the left. He raised his gun and pointed it in the castaways direction. 

Everyone jumped up from where they were sitting and raised their hands in the air.

“He said, don’t fucking move,” the other guy said, his head was completely shaved. His gun was also leveled at them. 

“Nobody is moving,” Owen said. “We are unarmed.”

“We have nothing of value, you should move along,” Arizona tried.

“I don’t think that’s true lady,” the bald guy said. “We heard there is a pretty valuable rock on this island.” They slowly started moving closer to the castaways and the meteorite.

“We’re not going to let you have this thing,” Cristina said. “Besides, how are you two going to even move it?”

“We got more guys,” baldy took another step closer.

“We won’t let you,” Derek challenged.

“Then we kill you and do what we want anyway,” the other guy said, though his accent was heavy, his intent was clear.

Arizona exchanged a look with Owen and Alex, who nodded back almost imperceptibly. 

“Go ahead,” she said. “We aren’t moving.”

Addison’s eyes went wide with fear, and April sent up a silent prayer.

“She said go ahead, dumbass,” Alex taunted. “Shoot us.”

“Are you afraid?” Cristina asked.

“Yeah, pull the trigger,” Arizona insisted. “I _dare_ you.”

The two men shared a look, then raised their guns and fired.


	22. Chapter 22

_“Yeah, pull the trigger,” Arizona insisted. “I dare you.”_

_The two men shared a look, then raised their guns and fired._

_***_

Arizona flinched at the the near deafening crack as the projectiles discharged from the gun barrels, her eyes going closed involuntarily. The first few shots came quickly then stopped. Just as she was about to open her eyes, they started again. One shot after another, over and over, ringing in her ears.

***

Callie dozed by the fire, her exhaustion and dehydration getting the best of her. After the emotional reunion with Arizona and the others, plus the the trip from the cutter had taken it’s toll. Lexie was close by, quietly tending to her sister.

The young doctor had set up an IV containing steroids to mature the baby’s lungs. She’d also roused Meredith briefly, and with some difficulty, to take some oral methyldopa for the blood pressure.

Lexie pulled out her stethoscope and placed it in her ears, then gently put the blood pressure cuff around Meredith’s arm and started slowly pumping it up. She released the pressure and was silently counting in her head when a series of pops rang through the cave.

Callie startled from her sleep by the sound. She looked to Lexie who was staring at the mouth of the cave, her head tilted to better hear.

“What was that?” Callie asked. 

Lexie pulled the stethoscope out of her ears and shook her head, “I don’t know.”

Then it happened again— the noise, far off in the distance, and this time there was no mistaking it. 

“That was gunshots,” Callie’s said.

***

The sound still echoing in her ears, Arizona opened her eyes to a sight equal parts terrifying and extraordinary. The bullets were rippling through the air in slow motion, straight at them, until they got closer to the meteorite—their trajectory was changed as the force of the magnet pushed them out and away where they dropped harmlessly into the lava flow behind them.

What happened next, came about quickly. Owen and Alex charged the pirates the moment the gunfire stopped and were now struggling to disarm the men. 

Alex took the smaller pirate to ground with force and quickly had him pinned.  His yell of “All-State, baby!” prompted the others, who stood frozen in shock to come running to help. 

Mark went after his pack, which held the hidden gun, and Derek grabbed rope to tie them up.

Owen’s guy was a little larger and put up more of a fight; fists flying, grunting— the pirate was starting to get the upper hand, until Cristina clocked him on the back of the head with a piece of the wood they’d been using as leavers. He slumped to the ground in a heap.

Mark’s gun now shakily pointed at the two incapacitated men, the rest sighed their relief.

“Tie them up,” Arizona said, “And keep them conscious, I have a few questions for them, but first… we flip this meteorite.” 

Alex did as he was told, but threw another punch for good measure.

***

Callie pushed herself up on hands and knees to crawl over to her backpack, she’d argued against bringing a gun, but Mark had convinced her. Now she was grateful.

“Do you think it’s the Navy?” Lexie asked.

“I don’t know, Lexie,” Callie answered honestly. She struggled to get her pack open, “I hope so, because the alternative is…”

“Not gonna be good for you,” came a man’s voice from the mouth of the cave. Callie gasped as his scarred face came into view and she saw he was holding a gun. “I suggest you take your hand out of that bag, ma’am. Nice and slow.”

***

It took the effort of ever single one of them, but the lever system set-up worked. They managed to flip the large rock over and directly into the path of the flowing lava. It was slowly being surrounded and consumed by the liquid hot magma.

The group of castaways stood there and watched, chests heaving from the exertion, their faces blackened with soot and sweat.

“Is that it?” April finally broke the silence? “Are we done? Can we be rescued now?”

“It may take a few hours for it to heat to Curie point,” Cristina said. “But yeah, we’re done.”

“No,” Arizona shook her head. “We’re not, not yet.” She turned and stomped back to the two men that were tied together about thirty feet away.

She dropped to the ground on her knees by the one that was conscious, the other still out from Cristina’s blow. “How many more of you are on the island?”

“I’m not saying nothin’,” he spat.

She took a small knife out of the supply bag and calmly asked him again.

He looked slightly alarmed, “You don’t have the cojones to do anything with that.”

“I’m going to ask you one more time,” she said slowly and deliberately. “How many more of your men are on this island?”

He spit at her. She reached up and wiped the nasty spittle from her face, and said, “I warned you…” she raised the knife in a threatening manner. 

“Professor Robbins!” April yelled. “Stop, he’s defenseless.”

“No, Arizona, don’t stop,” Derek looked at the others. “We need to know! What if they hurt Callie or Meredith?”

“We need to know, but not like this,” April argued. “We aren’t the bad guys.”

“No, but _they_ are, April,” Addison replied. 

“Go ahead and stab him if you need to, Professor,” Cristina said. April gaped at her with shock. “What? They were going to _shoot_ us, farm girl. We don’t have to have sympathy for them.”

“Yeah, they would have offed us in a second, Arizona,” Alex added. “They…”

“But we aren’t them,” April said. “We aren’t.”

Arizona wavered for a second, then lowered the knife. 

The pirate laughed. “I knew it. I knew you didn’t have it in you,” he said, then whispered so only Arizona could hear. “We know all about your little friends _in the cave_.”

Arizona’s face hardened, her grip on the knife tightened. She took a deep, angry breath, and without a second thought, plunged the blade deep into his thigh.

***

“Look, uh… sir,” Lexie said. “We are unarmed. I’m a doctor and this lady is pregnant. I’m just…”

“Whatever,” the guy said. “I don’t care. I’m just here to keep you in your place while my friends take care of business.”

“What business?” Callie sat up straighter and asked.

“The kind that’s _none of yours_ , bitch.”

Callie shared a look with Lexie, the young woman was scared. Callie licked her lips and looked back to the guy standing over them with the gun. 

“There’s no need for hostility,” Callie said. “We just want, no _need_ , to get off this island. We need a hospital. We don’t care about anything else. Maybe we can work together?”

The young pirate laughed, “I don’t think so. We don’t like to share.”

“Right, fine,” Callie said. “So just leave us. We’re harmless. You see,” she gestured around the cave, then to Meredith, “She’s unconscious and I… I can barely stand. We couldn’t do anything to you if we tried.”

“Yeah, well boss says to keep you here, so that’s what I do. ”

Another man appeared at the cave entrance, also carrying a gun. He looked intensely irritated. 

“What the hell are you doing, moron?” he said. “You aren’t supposed to be having a conversation with them! They weren’t supposed to even know you were here!”

“I know that!” the guy replied. “But.. I thought the gunshots changed things.”

“You aren’t paid to think,” the new one said. “We are here to guard. No one cares what you think.”

“Oh, yeah, well I think they probably found the rock and killed the others.” Callie and Lexie’s eye went wide at the younger pirate’s declaration. “So… uh, I assumed we could do what we wanted with these two now,” he said. “Maybe even take them with us. She said it herself,” he pointed at Callie. “They’re harmless.”

“We don’t need no sick pregnant woman slowing us down.”

“No, but the other two… that one’s a doctor and I’m sure we could find a use for this beauty,” he pointed at Callie again, who recoiled in disgust. 

“Maybe,” the older pirate agreed. “But… we wait to hear from Rico before we do anything.”

***

“AHHRrraaghhh. Jesus Christ, lady, you fucking stabbed me,” the belligerent pirate writhed in pain, his hands still tied in front of him. 

Arizona, surprised even herself by her lack of sympathy, simply responded, “I avoided the femoral artery, you’ll be fine. Now tell me how many more of you are on this island.”

“You’re crazy,” he sputtered. 

“Maybe,” she said calmly. “You can _not_ _answer_ and find out.”

All eyes were on the confrontation, no one watching the unconscious pirate that was laying tied up, just to the left of them.

Mark still shakily pointing this gun at the one Arizona was interrogating, added “I’d answer her. I just met her but she seems like someone you wouldn’t want to mess with.”

Arizona gently wrapped her fingers around the small knife that was poking out of the pirates leg, “I can pull this out, or I can twist it. Your choice.” 

The hapless man just stared back stubbornly until Arizona slowly started to twist the knife.

“Two!” he yelled. “Only four of us came to the island! Now pull it out, please,” he begged.

“And what are the other two doing,” she twisted it just a little more.

“Arizona, you promised,” April said. “Take it out.”

“As soon as I know what they are doing at the cave,” Arizona snapped. “Then I’ll stop. I’ll stop… when I know. When I know Callie is safe.”

“God,” the man cried. “they just… they’re just watching them. Keeping them there.”

“How did you know they were there? And where we were?”

“Fucking lights all over. Torches and talking. Your people are fucking obvious. Easy to track.”

Arizona pulled the knife out quickly and without warning. She turned to April and Addison, “put some pressure on that, he’ll be fine. Alex, Derek, Mark… you come with me back to the cave. The rest of you wait here, radio as soon as the compass shows normal.”

“Dude, I can’t believe you stabbed that guy,” Alex patted Arizona on the back and smiled.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Arizona scoffed. “It’s a tiny knife. He’s just a wuss.”

“Yeah, but….” Before Alex could finish the sentence, the guy they all thought was out-cold, was up and charging the completely inattentive Mark and knocking the gun from his trembling hands. 

They scuffled for a few seconds over the dispossessed gun, but the pirate came up the winner. He stood on unsteady legs, gun in his loosely bound hands. His eyes roamed the castaways until they fell upon Arizona. He smiled a toothless, menacing smile. 

Arizona’s eyes went wide with fear as the pirate raised the gun and pulled the trigger.

 


	23. Chapter 23

_Arizona’s eyes went wide with fear as the pirate raised the gun and pulled the trigger._

***

Arizona hit the ground hard, her breath expelled from her chest with force. Panic and pain shot through her as she desperately tried to suck air into her lungs. Her life flashed before her eyes, she thought of everyone one back home, and her friends here on the island, before settling on her love. Callie’s face hovered over her telling her to get up, that she was fine. 

_Get up._

_Calm down._

_Get up, we need your help._

_Just breathe, dammit. You are fine._

Finally able to pull some air into her screaming lungs, she opened her eyes. Callie’s face had been replaced by April’s and she was yelling something.

“Sit up, Professor,” she said. “You just got the wind knocked out of you, you’ll be fine, but Alex…”

Addison’s face now appeared directly above her. The two redhead’s faces were etched with fear, “Alex pushed you down. He saved you, but he’s hit.”

Arizona’s fog immediately cleared and she could suddenly hear and see the commotion around her. To her left, Alex was screaming in pain; Derek and Cristina applying pressure to his wound. To her right, Owen and Mark had once again subdued the pirate, who was unconscious for real this time.

Addison and April helped Arizona sit up, her breathing quickly returning to normal as her diaphragm stopped spasming. When the pain had subsided, she crawled to Alex’s side.

“I’m shot, I’m shot,” Alex said, as he looked up and her and groaned. “He fucking shot me.”

“Alex,” Arizona touched his face, gently wiping a smudge of ash and sweat from his brow. “You saved me.”

“Yeah,” he grimaced. “And I’m going to be so pissed at you if I die.”

“You aren’t going to die,” Derek assured. “I can feel the exit wound. I think it just ran along your ribcage and exited out the back.”

“Are you sure it didn’t go _through_ his ribcage?” Cristina asked.

Derek looked at Cristina, then Arizona, “I hope not.”

“Either way, it fucking hurts,” Alex groaned through clenched teeth.

***

The two pirates were having a very tense, but whispered, private conversation by the mouth of the cave. 

Callie and Lexie quietly exchanged glances. A silent conversation ensued. Callie pointed to her pack, which held the gun. Lexie shook her head no. Callie’s face hardened, and she nodded her intent to ignore Lexie’s denial. Lexie emphatically expressed her disapproval. Callie ignored her and scooted toward the pack.

***

With Alex injured, plans had changed. Derek stayed behind, as Alex was in desperate need of medical attention. Now, it was Arizona, Mark, and Owen, who swiftly made their way through the island’s jungle terrain.

The well worn and familiar path made for easy going for the two island inhabitants, but Mark struggled to keep up with determined duo. He didn’t know the area, and traveling in the dark made it hard for him to match the other’s pace. He sighed in relief, when they broke through the jungle tree line and into the clearing just north of the lagoon. 

Arizona and Owen looked fondly at the place that had been their home these last eight months. It’d only been a week since they’d abandoned the small huts for the safety of the caves, but it felt like longer. Much longer. Their days spent laughing, loving, and living in the huts seemed a lifetime ago.

“I’m going to head on up toward the cave, do some recon, see what we are up against,” Owen said. “You guys wait here.”

***

The pirates were securely bound and being guarded by the watchful eyes of Cristina and the two gingers. 

Cristina held both the gun and the compass, which had yet to stop spinning uncontrollably. She sighed and gave it a shake. Nothing. It was still spinning. She looked up to find Derek looking at her expectantly, she shook her head no to his silent question. He motioned for her to come to him, so she handed the gun to Addison. 

“If either of those douchebags move, shoot them.”

She walked over to where Derek was still applying pressure to their bleeding friend. Alex had stopped talking and was now breathing hard and heavy. He was staring straight up into the starless night.

“What’s up, doc?”

Derek looked from compass to the meteorite, “Is it working?”

“No, not yet,” Cristina responded. “It will though.”

“I hope so. His wound is worse than I initially thought. He’s losing a lot of blood, and probably has a few broken ribs.”

“He’s going to be okay though, right?”

“If we get a rescue chopper in here to evacuate him, he will.”

“You gotta eat more bacon,” Alex mumbled.

“What?” Cristina looked at Derek, who just shrugged in response.

“Eat more bacon,” Alex repeated, his breath shallow. “You stop yourself from doing a lot of crap that you want to do in life. I mean, I’m probably dying now and I’m tellin’ you, you gotta eat more bacon. Have more sex.”

“Oh, uh… I don’t eat pork,” Cristina replied. “But I will have more sex.”

“And so will you,” Derek assured. “When we get off of this island, we all will.”

“But not all together,” Cristina added.

***

“Is this…,” Mark looked around at the various huts that contrived their small home base, “where you lived?”

Arizona nodded, “Yeah, we uh…,” she paused, suddenly overcome with emotion. She closed her eyes, “It’s where Callie and I… it’s where we…It’s home.”

“Hey, we’re going to save them,” he assured his tearful companion. “They’ll be fine.”

“As long as you don’t let a bound man disarm you again,” Arizona wiped at the few tears that had managed to escape.

“Hey! He took me by surprise,” Mark defended. “I’m… I’m a lover, not a fighter. All of this… _craziness_ is new to me.”

“Well, I just hope you _love_ Lexie and Callie enough to do what it takes.”

“I do,” Mark said, his sincerity evident. “You can trust me.”

“I hope so,” Arizona said. “Because I can’t lose her. I won’t.”

“You think I want to lose her?” Mark challenged. “She’s my best friend. And I don’t have many friends. People don’t… take me seriously, they think I’m all superficial, but not her. She sees me, she always has. She’s my best friend. I can’t lose her either. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good,” Mark’s stern expression faded. “So you and her?”

“Yep,” Arizona immediately answered.

“Should I trust _you_?”

“With her?”

Mark just nodded.

“Always.”

***

The group by the meteorite was somber. Alex was unconscious and had ceased his persistent moaning, which had given rise to an unsettling silence.

No one spoke. The only sounds were those natural to the island and hiss and pop of the flowing lava.

Cristina stared at the compass willing it to stop spinning.

***

Owen appeared of nowhere, startling both Arizona, and Mark, who dropped his gun on the ground. He wordlessly picked it up and nonchalantly secured it in the front of his pants.

“I hope you have the safety on,” Arizona said before turning to Owen for his report. Mark made a duh face, but pulled the gun out and checked the safety—just in case.

“There are only two,” Owen informed Arizona, “the one you stabbed was telling the truth.”

“You don’t have to say it like that,” Arizona cringed. “Just say the one I questioned.”

“The guy you _questioned_ was telling the truth, I only saw two. They were in and out of the cave. Both armed.”

“Okay, well… we need a plan,” Mark said.

Both men looked to Arizona, she’d been the driving force behind their actions so far, neither felt a need to change that. 

“Oh god, I don’t know what to do,” she said. She bit her lip and thought over their options.

***

Cristina stared at the spinning compass for so long her eyes were starting to hurt. She wanted to rub them, but with all the smoke and ash in the air around them, she knew it wouldn't’ be a very good idea, so she closed them tight in an attempt to sooth them.

When she opened her eyes again, the compass started to slow it’s incessant spin, she blinked once, then twice thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her, until the truth finally dawned on her.

“It’s working!” She yelled. “I think it’s slowing!” She raised her eyes to the others, who came to her side to see for themselves. “Look!” She held the compass out for the other to see.

Addison and April hugged, their despair changing to joy.

Derek grabbed the radio and tossed it to Cristina, “Great, now make the call.”

“On it,” she smiled. She flipped the radio on, brought the mic up to her mouth, and pressed the button on the side to talk, “Mayday, mayday, mayday… This is Cristina Yang, of the… island castaways, formally first mate of the SS Minnow, requesting immediate medical assistance…”

***

Callie had managed to slowly, a few inches at a time, move herself toward the backpack that contained the gun. She was too weak to move quickly, so small movements while the pirates paced in and out of the cave were her only option.

Currently, the older pirate was at the mouth of the cave, while the younger scar-faced one was out, apparently taking a leak, which he’d announced rather loudly. 

Callie reached her hand toward the pack, her moves measured and deliberate, trying her best not to draw the attention of the guy at the mouth of the cave, currently picking his teeth with a pen knife.

Lexie was behind her holding her breath, her nerves frayed from anxious fear and anticipation.

A tiny bead of sweat rolled across Callie’s brow and threatened to drip into her eye.

The pirate ran his knife across his teeth.

Callie slipped her hand in the pack, she could almost feel the cold metal of the gun…

“DEREK!” Meredith yelled out in her sleep, startling everyone in the cave. Callie slipped her hand out of the bag empty-handed, just as the pirate whipped around to face them, his gun leveled in their direction.

“What was that?” he asked.

“She’s hallucinating,” Lexie replied, putting her hands on her sister to settle her down. “She needs to get off this island.”

“I told you, nobody moves until we hear from Rico.”

“Hey, Lester!” the scar-faced pirate yelled from outside of the cave.

“What?”

He suddenly appeared at the mouth of the cave, with Professor Arizona Robbins in tow.

“Guess what I caught tryin’ to sneak up on us?” Scar Face smiled. “Another dumb broad.”

He forcefully pushed Arizona into the cave and onto the ground in front of Callie and Lexie.

***

Back on the United States Coast Guard Cutter Bokhee.

“Get these choppers in the air,” Commander Bailey shouted to her crew. “We’ve got a rescue to perform. Come on people, let’s save some lives.”

“Belay that order,” Captain Webber stormed onto the bridge of the ship. “The Navy asked us to cease operations, Commander Bailey, we can’t just…”

“With all due respect, sir. We’ve just had US citizens make an official request for assistance. We _are_ helping.”

Captain Webber stood strong, but Bailey persisted. “Richard, we have to help. We can’t leave them to die. It’s our job to keep them safe. I’ll take full responsibility.”

Richard’s face softened, he took a deep breath, “Yes, ma’am, but… we share responsibility. Save those people, Bailey.”

Bailey smiled and once again started shouting commands. 

**

Arizona had scooted back toward Callie and positioned herself protectively in front of her. They exchanged a brief, but intense glance. Callie tried to suss out what was happening, but Arizona’s expression gave away nothing. 

“They sure do have hot women on this island,” the younger pirate commented.

Lester laughed, “You are right about that.”

“Too hot for you,” Arizona said. “And too smart.”

“Is that so?”

“I’m afraid so,” Arizona said. “Just ask your buddy, Rico. Oh…wait, you can’t, because he’s incapacitated on the other side of the island.”

“You dumb bitch, what do you mean incapacitated? What did you do to Rico?” Lester started to move toward Arizona, his gun raised, but stopped when he heard the telltale sound of a gun being cocked behind him.

“Drop it,” Owen said. 

Lester looked to his left and saw that very gun against the back of his scar-faced companion’s head.

He turned toward the mouth of the cave intending to run, only to find Mark standing there, gun in his currently steady hand.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Mark said. “Drop your gun and sit your ass down. It’s over.”

***

Owen watched over the bound pirates, while Mark and Lexie, and Callie and Arizona took a moment to reunite.

“Is it really over?” Callie asked as Arizona kissed every inch of her face to make sure the other woman was okay. “You destroyed the meteorite? We can go home?”

Arizona stopped her gentle assault of Callie’s lips and face and pulled back to look into her lover’s eyes. She didn’t have the answer. 

“Please tell me it’s over,” Callie asked again.

Just as Arizona began to open her mouth to respond that she didn’t know— that they’d done all they could, and it was out of their hands— the repetitive thumping of helicopter rotors resonated through the cave. Help was on the way.

Tears filled Arizona’s eyes and she smiled the most radiant smile.

“Yes, Calliope, it’s over. We’re going home.”

***

End.

Epilogue coming soon.


	24. Epilogue

_Owen and Mark struggled to subdue the pirate that had just shot Alex, but the pirate was fighting back. His eyes were wide with fear and rage, like a trapped animal._

_Mark moved forward and made a grab for the guy, but the pirate was too fast; he punched Mark in the jaw knocking him back a few steps until he stumbled on a rock and fell to the ground. He then turned and charged Owen, bringing the former military man down hard._

_Once he had Owen on the ground, the pirate started throwing punches in an attempt to incapacitate his foe, but Owen was experienced with hand-to-hand and was able to avoid most of the blows._

_Mark regained his feet and ran to where the pirate had Owen pinned down, and grabbed him by the back of the shirt and pulled him away— arms and legs flailing about._

_Mark let the pirate drop with a thud on the ground, but he quickly spun his body and took Mark down with a sweep of his legs._

_The pirate scrambled to his hands and knees._

_*_

_Cristina and Derek worked on Alex’s gunshot wound, while April tried to rouse the shocked and winded professor._

_*_

_Addison kept an eye on the struggle between the three men, her eyes going wide when she realized the pirate’s gaze fell on the discarded gun._

_She rose from her crouched position by the fallen professor and strode determinedlytoward the gun._

_The pirate lunged forward, crawling on his hands and knees, in an attempt to regain control of the weapon, only to have it kicked away last second by the ginger movie star. The angry pirate clambered to his feet and screamed in frustration, and then pain as Addison’s foot met his groin. He doubled over in agony and Addison took the opportunity to punch him square in the jaw. He fell to the ground unconscious, just as Owen and Mark arrived to help._

_“I’ve always been told I was a knock-out,” Addison quipped triumphantly._

_***_

“I’ve always been told I was a knock-out,” Addison mouthed the words along with her counterpart on the big screen 

Everyone seated in the special VIP section at the famous Chinese Theater—the castaways and their rescuers—all leaned forward in unison, and turned their heads toward the gorgeous redhead. Their expressions all amused shock. Mark and Owen looked especially put out, as what had just played out on the screen in front of them wasn’t exactly how that fight went.

The castaways were _all_ together again, for the first time, since their long ordeal on the island, at the Hollywood premier of the movie based on their experience. A movie which Addison Forbes Montgomery helped write, promote, and starred in. One in which more than just her role in subduing the rogue pirate was _overstated_.

“What?” Addison asked.

“What was that crappy line?” Alex asked. The rest just gaped in amusement, trying hard to stifle their laughs.

“I’m the star,” Addison whispered so as not to disturb the others in attendance, “I get the standard action movie quip. It’s in my contract.”

***

Addison was in her element at the after party— Hollywood was definitely her town. She loved being the center of attention. 

“She’s really into all this attention, isn’t she?” April commented from the table in the corner where all the castaways had ended up after the after party crowd’s interest in them had died down. Not that any of them minded, Addison could have her moment.

“Addison always has been someone who thrives in the spotlight,” Derek responded.

Obviously, Addison had taken one of the many offers to make their harrowing experience into an action movie, everyone got a cut of the payday, but Addison also got to both star in the movie, and help pen the script. Jake Reilly, her current man of the moment, had been tapped to assist the ginger movie star write the screenplay, and Addison and he had been inseparable since their collaboration.

“Speaking of things that require undivided attention, how’s little Bailey? Is he walking yet?” Callie asked the proud parents.

Being born so early and under such extreme circumstances, the baby Shepherd had lagged a little in developing his motor skills, but he wasn’t behind for long.

“Running is more like it. He’s the only exercise I get these days,” Meredith laughed. “No more svelte island body for me.”

Immediately upon rescue, Meredith had been airlifted to a hospital in Miami where Bailey Grey Shepherd had been born via emergency c-section, and named for the plucky, steadfast sister that never gave up on them and the Commander of the Bokhee that risked her career to help get them off the island. His first few weeks of life were touch and go, but both he and his mother recovered fully. 

After Meredith’s recovery, the Shepherds relocated to Seattle where they could be close to Lexie, who wanted to finish her residency at the hospital that was so accommodating to her taking several leaves of absence to search for her missing sister.

Both Derek and Meredith were offered positions at Seattle Excelsior Hospital (affectionately known as SEx hospital by its employees, and not necessarily because of the acronym). The newly designated level 1 trauma center and teaching hospital were happy to soak up the publicity surrounding the returning surgeons. Derek had rediscovered his love of medicine while on the island and was enjoying being a teacher to eager young interns. Meredith found she loved being a mother, and working with her sister. Her career was on the upswing, and her family finally felt almost whole.

“Motherhood suits you,” Arizona said. 

“It really does,” April agreed.

“It’s funny you should mention that… Derek and I are trying to adopt a surgically needy little girl that he’s been working with. She’s part of this amazing surgical exchange program the hospital is doing. She was here from Africa to get surgery and we just fell in love with her, it was like we were meant to be her parents. We just… we can’t see her sent back to an orphanage.”

“You’ll get her,” Owen assured. “Calum would love a playmate a little older than Bailey.”

Owen returned to civilization to find his mother raising his son, Calum, who was now almost eight years old. His ex wife had tragically died in an car crash after Owen had gone missing, leaving the young boy parentless. It took time and patience on both of their parts, but eventually Owen and his son had become an inseparable pair. 

Owen asked Cristina to come with him to Seattle, which she’d balked at at first, but with Meredith there, and the tempting offer of being the channel 7 on air meteorologist, she’d given in and joined Owen in Seattle.

Seattle had instantly fallen in love with her no-nonsense weather forecasts, and her weekly segment answering viewer mail was the highest rated ten minutes of the nightly news. It became a local claim to fame to get a question answered on one of Cristina’s weather Q & A’s, especially if the question caused the woman to lose her cool at its stupidity. To be raked by Cristina Yang, was a prize many a Seattle resident sought. She became such a local celebrity that people would stop her on the street, just so she could insult them. She’d found her calling in Seattle. 

Cristina even managed to _like_ Owen’s child— he was funny and self-reliant, and didn’t need her to be a mother, his grandmother had filled that role in his life. She found she just needed to be his friend, an once she’d sorted all of that in her head, Cristina realized that Owen could be the one for her, the one that stuck, because with his focus solely on raising his son, he never asked for more than she was willing to give, and _that_ made her want to give more than she’d ever given before.

“How are you liking being around all these kids?” Alex asked.

“Oh, I’m a great _Aunt_ Cristina,” she replied. “I don’t do diapers, I don’t babysit, and there’s no universe in which I generate dinner, so I don’t feed them. Kids are a piece of cake, which is actually what I _would_ feed them all the time if they were left in my care.”

Alex laughed and shook his head, for the first time in a long time, he was genuinely happy.

After being rescued, he recovered from his gunshot wound quickly. What little romance that had been building between him and April, went quickly out the window when he realized how popular his scar and his story made him with the ladies. Post recovery, he partied, hooked up, and floundered for awhile, but ultimately, he decided to settle down. Instead of living on his fifteen minutes of fame, he chose to stay in the military and continue his aerospace engineering degree at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. That’s where he met and fell in love with a young, fresh-out-of-the-academy spitfire, Ensign Jo Wilson.

“What about you, Apes?” Alex prodded. “How are things with Richie Rich?”

“I’m sitting right here, and I have a name,” Jackson groaned.

Alex continued as if Jackson hadn’t even spoken, “His mother forgive you yet?”

Upon returning to civilization, April’s existence began anew. She grabbed onto life with avengeance and didn’t let her fears or sheltered upbringing dictate her happiness anymore. She knew life was short, that anything could happen at anytime. She was no longer waiting for stuff to happen _to_ her. When she saw something she wanted, she went after it.That’s how April met her soulmate, the one person in all the world she was meant to be with. She knew this for sure, because God had lead her to him through her experience on the island. She always believed she’d been ship wrecked for a reason. She always trusted that God had a plan for her. And now, she was so happy and in love, she thanked God everyday for her ordeal, because surely without that tribulation she would never have met the young VP of Avery Aviation.

Post rescue— not yet ready to be separated— the whole group had stayed for a time in Miami, where both Alex and Meredith had been airlifted for immediate medical attention. Carlos Torres had rejoiced upon hearing his daughter had been found alive, and had generously set the survivors up in one of his luxury resort hotels to recover from their ordeal. He’d also, with the help of his friends at Avery Aviation, flown their families to Miami to reunite with the long lost castaways. Jackson Avery initially came along to take advantage of the publicity that such an endeavor would produce for his company—one his mother had recently given him more control over—little did he know his future would be waiting for him in the form of a not-so-timid-anymore farm girl from Kansas. They eloped a few months after meeting.

“Yes, Alex, Catherine and I are good friends now. Family, even. It’s been almost a year since we eloped. She thought I was after Jackson’s money, but now that I’m expecting her first grandchild….”

“April? You’re pregnant?” Callie asked in surprise.

“I am, we just found out.”

“That’s wonderful,” Arizona replied. She took Callie’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.Callie’s gaze turned to her lover, her best friend, her person.

Arizona was greeted in Miami by her parents and sister-in-law, Teddy Altman.

Arizona was grateful for the help her family had been while she was away. She was touched that Teddy had taken a leave to help, and ecstatic that it had lead her brother’s widow to a new relationship with the helicopter pilot that had participated in the failed search and rescue mission. After learning how close they actually were to the island, and despite Arizona’s assurances that there would have been nothing they could have done until the meteorite was destroyed, Henry still somewhat blamed himself for not putting more faith in what Lexie had seen. 

The Colonel had done just as Arizona hoped and kept Lauren Boswell tied up in court over her patents and now that she’d returned, alive and well, she knew her research was safe. Lauren had tried to fight at first, but when the judge threw her claim out, she’d skulked away into anonymity, her reputation in tatters.

Arizona’s reputation, however, had sky rocketed since returning from this island. When the US government had found out she’d managed to snag a sample of the monopole—a tiny sliver of the meteorite, just enough to study it’s effects, but not enough to hinder the rescue—she was asked to head a task force to study it. The task force included physicists from her university, Cornell, the U.S. Geological Survey, National Science Foundation, and NASA itself. She couldn't have been more in her element… in charge a major, ground-breaking, scientific research project. 

The attention the professor was receiving wasn’t necessarily a good thing, especially for her and Callie. She’d become a sort of celebrity in the scientific world, invited to conferences all over the world, leaving little time to properly cultivate her relationship with Callie, often leading to misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

“So, how are you two doing? You look awfully cozy,” April asked Callie and Arizona, her gaze falling to their intertwined hands, “but, I thought I heard you broke up.” All eyes at the table turned to the couple in question. 

Callie laughed, “We were touch and go for awhile, but reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated.”

When they first returned to Miami, Callie was hospitalized briefly for her dehydration and exposure, Arizona never left her side. The professor ignored all requests for interviews and even put off her own family until Callie was deemed healthy enough to leave the hospital. 

Arizona didn’t even budge when Carlos Torres burst into tears upon seeing his daughter’s gaunt cheeks and peeling skin from her week spent on the raft, and begged for forgiveness. He apologized for giving up on her before she’d been lost at sea. He apologized for not loving her for who she was. Arizona never let go of her hand, even when Callie cried her relief on her father’s shoulder.

Carlos immediately reinstated Callie’s trust fund, and welcomed her back into his life with open arms. He extended his generosity to all of the castaways, offering them time to recoup and regroup at one of his luxury resorts. 

When everyone started leaving to their homes and new lives, Callie struggled with what shape her future would take. She didn’t know what she wanted to do as a career now that her yacht was gone, being a ship’s captain was all she knew. Plus, she’d been alone and independent for so long, she didn’t know how to exist as part of a twosome. She knew she wanted to be with Arizona, but what form that took was what she struggled with. Arizona wanted Callie to join her in her travels around the world securing funding for her research. Traveling with Arizona sounded wonderful to Callie at first, but quickly soured as she was lauded only as Arizona’s ‘companion’. She wanted to be a partner, not just someone who looked good on Arizona’s arm. She knew, _she knew,_ Arizona didn’t look at her that way, and definitely didn’t think she was in anyway superior to Callie, but the brunette couldn’t help how she felt. She didn’t want to be a sidekick, she was a Captain Calliope Torres. She belonged on the ocean. Or so she thought.

***

_—One year ago, about six months post island—_

_Professor Arizona Robbins was one of many scientists giving speeches at The International Scientific Conference at UNESCO headquarters in downtown Paris. Callie accompanied her to the black tie event preceding the convention—she wouldn’t be allowed to attend the actual conference, as it was for the scientists only._

_Callie sat at the bar and sipped her wine and watched as Arizona schmoozed and used her perfect smile to charm all the male scientists in the room. She understood how hard it was for a woman in Arizona’s position, being a female in a male dominated profession. How hard it was to be taken seriously, especially when you are as blonde and beautiful as Arizona was. A lesser woman may have buckled under the pressure, but not Arizona. She had no patience for male egos. The professor put them in their place on the regular, and Callie loved to watch. As a matter of fact, she couldn’t take her eyes off of her as Arizona talked circles around a particularly smarmy scientist from one of the European nations, Callie couldn’t remember which, but it didn’t matter. Arizona was slaying him._

_“She’s quite something isn’t she?”_

_Callie tore her gaze from Arizona to glance at the young woman standing next her._

_“She is,” Callie agreed._

_“She’s going to change the world,” the young woman said._

_“Excuse me?”_

_“Professor Robbins’ research is going to change the world,” she looked away from Arizona and was now looking directly at Callie, “and I’m going to help her.”_

_“Really? And just who are you?” Callie asked._

_“Oh, sorry, I’m Leah Murphy,” she reached out her hand for Callie to shake, “her new research fellow.” Leah turned her gaze back to Arizona. She licked her lips unconsciously, “I can’t wait to get down to it.”_

_“Huh,” Callie chuckled and shook her head, “Of course you can’t.” Callie finished her wine in one long gulp, placed her empty glass on the bar, and slipped off of her barstool. “Would you… uh, give Professor Robbins a message from me?”_

_“Oh, well. I’m not sure it would be appropriate for me to approach her with a message from a_ stranger _,” Leah balked. “I’ve not even officially started my fellowship….”_

_“I think it’ll be okay this once,” Callie patted the other woman’s arm. “Tell her that her_ girlfriend _isn’t feeling well, and she’s heading back to the hotel. Think you can handle that, research fellow Leah Murphy?”_

_***_

_Callie took a cab back to their hotel, her thoughts fraught with uncertainty. She reflected on the past six months since returning from the island, it was a wonderful half year spent at Arizona’s side. Callie absolutely loved Arizona, but she wanted, no needed, more. She felt like something was missing, despite being happier in love than she’d ever been, and she was pretty sure she knew what that something was._

_She grabbed a scotch on the rocks from the minibar and went stand on the balcony. The night was cool, but her drink kept her warm. She leaned on the railing and allowed herself to relax and enjoy the spectacular nighttime view of the city of lights._

_She didn’t flinch when Arizona joined her on the balcony, her arms slipping around Callie’s waist from behind, and warm lips making soft contact, first on her cheek, then her ear._

_Callie smiled. How could she not? She sat her drink down turned to allow herself to be completely engulfed in the other woman’s arms, her face becoming lost in blonde locks._

_“Tell me what’s wrong,” Arizona whispered._

_“You’re going to change the world, Arizona.”_

_“We are,” Arizona corrected. “We are.”_

_“No,_ we _aren’t._ You _are,” Callie insisted. “And that’s okay.” Callie pulled out of the hug, and brushed a piece of Arizona’s hair aside. She stared into her girlfriend’s blue eyes, soaking up all the love she saw displayed for her, because she knew her next words would cause the brightness to dim, “I want you to change the world, Arizona.You were born to change the world,” she hesitated for a moment, “but you don’t need me to do that.”_

_“What? Callie no,” Arizona shook her head in denial. Her heart seizing for a moment in her chest. “What are you saying?”_

_“Daddy offered to buy me another yacht, another Minnow, and I think I’m going to accept.”_

_Arizona was forcibly shaking her head and stepping away from the brunette, “No, no… I uh… won’t allow it. No.” Arizona turned and left the balcony._

_“You won’t allow it?” Callie followed the now pacing blonde into the hotel room. “What is that supposed to mean?”_

_“It means no. No. You… you… you are not going back to that,” Arizona stopped her pacing, and turned to face Callie again, resolve written all over her face. “I forbid it.”_

_“You… what? You forbid it?” Callie asked incredulously. “Arizona, do you even hear yourself right now?”_

_“Calliope…”_

_“No, do not— do not "Calliope" me, ok?You just_ forbid _me from doing something. Something… I love, something that’s part of me. God, who are you?”_

_Arizona just stared, fear in her eyes, heart in her throat._

_“I’m going,” Callie finally replied. “I’m leaving in the morning. You finish your conference and we can talk when you get home.”_

_“You’re… you’re leaving me?”the blonde asked softly, her voice quavered._

_“I’m not leaving you, Arizona,” Callie replied. She took Arizona’s hand in her own, and lead her to sit on the bed. “I’m leaving Paris. I love you, everything about you, but I need more. Do you understand?”_

_Arizona nodded that she did, indeed, understand, but Callie wasn’t so sure she was getting her point across, because Arizona sat there, stunned into silence. Callie was just starting to get worried when the other woman’s expression changed from one of alarm to one of determination._

_She looked at Callie and smiled, “Marry me.”_

_“What?”_

_“Marry me, Calliope,” Arizona implored. “Marry me and… and I can give you more.”_

_“Oh, sweetie,” Callie sighed. “I want to… I really do, but I just… I can’t right now.” Arizona’s face fell and Callie almost gave in and shouted ‘yes, yes, yes. of course i’ll marry you,’ but she pushed that desire down, “Right now… the kind of more I need doesn’t come in the form of a ring and white dresses.”_

_“Callie, please. Don’t…You know I only need to travel a few more months. Just until all of my funding is secure. Then things will settle down for a bit while they build the research center, then I’ll be home all the time.”_

_“And where exactly is home?” Callie asked._

_“Since we got off the island, home has been with you,” Arizona quickly replied, then realization dawned on her “Cornell is in New York, but now you’re going to be in Miami…”_

_“Exactly, and you’ll be in Ithaca, where there isn’t exactly much call for a ship’s captain,” Callie sighed. “Look, I know this isn’t the perfect situation…”_

_“I don’t think I can do long distance,” Arizona bluntly stated._

_Callie was momentarily taken aback, “Are you breaking up with me?”_

_“I don’t know,” Arizona replied, “are you breaking up with me?”_

_“I wasn’t trying to, but…”_

_“You don’t want to live in New York.”_

_“I don’t want to be a housewife, Arizona! That’s not me. I want to change the world too!” Callie yelled, her anger an frustration getting the better of her._

_Arizona shut down. She couldn’t think of a solution so she found herself saying something she didn’t mean, “You.. uh, you go home to Miami and be happy, and I’ll,” she swallowed hard, “I’ll go to New York and be… happy.”_

_***_

“Oh my god, what happened?” April asked. “What did you guys do? Did you break up?”

“Well,” Callie started, “I packed my things and went home to Miami.”

“And?” Addison, who’d joined the others at the table, just as Callie and Arizona had started their story. “How was being apart? How was Miami?”

“I was hot, and miserable, and I cried two straight months,” Callie replied. “And uh… I was afraid to take the yacht out of the harbor,” she added under her breath. 

Arizona pulled Callie’s hand up and kissed her knuckles.

“Skipper!” Cristina shouted. “You were afraid to leave the harbor? What the hell?”

“I nearly got us all killed the last time I captained a boat!”

“Oh, man,” Alex laughed, “that’s rich.”

“Speaking of rich,” Derek said. “Your father bought you a yacht that you were too afraid to use?”

“No!” Callie lied. “I mean… yes technically, but I did cruise it around the harbor a bit. That was fun.”

“So how did you two end up back together?” Meredith asked.

***

_—10 months ago, about 8 months post island—_

_The Torres mansion was quiet, Lucia was in the middle of a big trial and out at the crack of dawn every morning, and Carlos was away on business, leaving Callie alone with her… loneliness._

_She sat at the breakfast bar, silently crying into her morning cereal. The staff had been giving her a wide berth, as she’d been downright depressing to be around._

_Aria came into the kitchen, hungover from a night spent partying. She sat down at the bar next to her weeping sister and rolled her eyes. She had a massive headache and was in no mood for Callie’s excessive sobbing._

_Callie put her spoon down and picked up a tissue to wipe her eyes and nose._

_“Will you stop crying?” Aria said._

_Unable to form a proper comeback, Callie simply replied, “You stop crying.”_

_“Jesus Christ, Callie, go get your damn girl,” Aria frustratedly exclaimed. “You said you left her to be something… to do something great and all you’ve been doing is crying into your Cheerios for weeks. It’s sad and depressing and I am sick of watching you. You aren’t stupid, Callie, just go fucking do something with your life. Beg her to take you back or whatever.”_

_Callie sat there stunned, not sure how to respond to her sister._

_“She’s right, mija”_

_Callie and Aria turned their barstools around to find their father standing in the kitchen behind them. Still holding his briefcase, fresh home from his trip._

_“Though her language is deplorable, her sentiment is in the right place. You should go, be with the person that makes you happy. You’ll regret it you don’t give it a second chance.”_

_“But, Daddy, you spent a lot of money on that yacht…,” Callie started._

_“Think nothing of it,” he swiftly replied. “I bought it for you to make you happy, and to make up for all the time I wasted being ignorant, but it’s obvious to everyone that’s not what makes you happy anymore. What makes you happy now, is that professor of yours.”_

_“God, I’m so pathetic,” Callie sobbed. “I can’t be with her and not be anything…. I want her to love me_ and _respect me.”_

_Carlos gently took his daughter’s face in his hands, “You are anything but pathetic, my dear, and you can be anything you want.”_

_“Yeah, go back to school,” Aria suggested. “You always liked that nerdy stuff. Plus, you can fulfill all your ‘hot for teacher’ fantasies with your smokin’ hot professor.”_

_  
Callie scrunched her face at her sister calling Arizona hot and was about to make a comment on it when her father spoke._

_“She’s right,” he said._

_“What?” Callie blurted, her face twisted with confusion,“You think Arizona’s hot too?”_

_“Your girl is very attractive, Calliope, but I’m talking about the going back to school part. You used to want to go to medical school, why don’t you try that?”_

_“Huh,” Callie’s forehead crinkled as she rolled the idea of medical school around in her brain for few moments, then she smiled. The first real smile Carlos and Aria had seen since she’d returned to Miami._

_***_

“So,” Arizona started telling her part of the story, “Cornell was putting me up in a hotel in Ithaca until we decided on a location for my research facility,” she smiled, “and Calliope showed up, ready to beg for my forgiveness, but there was nothing to forgive, we were both stubborn asses. I pulled her into the room and we…,” she glanced at Callie, “we reconciled.”

“That we did,” the brunette smirked.

“I bet you did,” Addison teased.

“What about med school?” Meredith asked Callie, then turned to Arizona, “And where is your lab going to be?”

The two women looked at each other and both replied a the same time, “Seattle.”

“What?” all the current Seattle residents shouted in unison. 

“That’s great, Callie!” Mark shouted, he was now running the west coast division of Torres Hotels, headquartered in Seattle. Carlos had given Mark his choice of jobs after his role in saving the entrepreneur's daughter, and Mark knew he wanted to be near Lexie, so the pacific northwest became his home. “Together again! We will tear Seattle apart!”

“I’ll be a very busy med student, Mark, there will be no tearing of Seattle, or partying of any kind, only studying.”

“Please,” Mark scoffed. “The Torres Method has never let you down. You’re going to ace med school.”

“The Torres Method, did help her ace her MCAT,” Arizona agreed. “And she was promptly accepted into five different medical schools, UW just happened to be the one who's location corresponded with one of the cities on the short list of locations for my research facility. It was a win-win.”

“It was more than that,” Callie said. “It was fate.”

“When are you guys relocating?” Cristina asked.

“About a month, they’ve been working on the lab for about four months. I’m needed to be there to oversee the final construction stages,” Arizona said. 

“I don't start med school, until the fall,” Callie grinned, like she had a secret. “But, we plan to get married as soon as we settle.”

“Awww,” April sniffed. “Jackson, can we move to Seattle, too? I miss everyone.”

“You know, I wasn’t going to say anything, because I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it,” Jackson smiled. “My mother wants to move our west coast headquarters to Seattle and she wants me to take over that division. I told her I wasn’t sure, because I didn’t think you’d want to live there, but…if that’s what you want… I love you and will follow you anywhere.”

“Oh gag,” Cristina said. “You two are gross,” she directed at April and Jackson. “Don’t move in next me,” she then turned to Callie and Arizona, “but you two can. Just… don’t ask me to be in the wedding. I don’t do bridesmaid.”

“Don’t worry, it’s going to be a small intimate ceremony,” Callie said. “Just us.”

April and Mark looked somewhat disappointed at not being part of the wedding.

“Well, maybe we can have a post wedding party,” Arizona gave in to April’s disappointed expression.

“Yay,” Addison squealed a little.

“You know,” Alex said. “I’ll be graduating from NPS in a few months, with a nifty aerospace engineering degree. Any room at that facility for a naval officer, Professor?”

“Yes!” Callie answered. “She needs another new research fellow, she had to fire one of the last ones.”

“Was she a dummy?” Cristina asked.

“No,” Arizona replied. “She was very bright, but… she developed an inappropriate, not-so-professional admiration for me.”

“Admiration, my ass. She had the hots for Arizona and I almost had to go full on jealous girlfriend at her,” Callie crossed her arms indignantly. “She thought, that just because I broke up with Arizona for those two months, that we were actually broken up!”

“To be fair, Cal,” Mark said.

“Shut up, Mark,” Callie interrupted her longtime friend, “nobody cares.”

“Anyway, Alex,” Arizona continued. “My current fellow, Stephanie Edwards, will be happy to have another person back on the team. Submit your transfer application to your superiors and I’ll see what we can work out. The military wants a presence there, I see no reason it can’t be you. You can finish your education with me.”

“Dude, that would be awesome.”

Addison’s manager, a tall striking woman, named Nicole Herman, came over and and pulled the movie star away from the table. The two whispered back and forth for a few moments. Addison looked shocked, but Nicole was smiling. She patted Addison on the back, and walked her back to the large round table housing the castaways, nodded her goodbye, then left them alone.

“Um, you guys,” Addison still looked a little shaken. 

“Addie, what is it?” April asked.

“I just booked a three movie deal that will be filming in Washington state. My manager is headed out to draw up the contract as we speak! I’m moving to Seattle, for at least three years!”

“Huh,” Derek hummed. “All of us… ending up in Seattle of all places. Weird.”

“Yeah, who would have imagined when we first met in Miami, all of us living in the Pacific Northwest!”

“It _is_ quite a few coincidences that have lead all of us to Seattle,” Arizona said.

“No, no it’s not, Arizona,” Callie said. “When will you start believing me? It’s not a coincidence… it’s fate. Fate is what brought us together in the first place, it’s what leading us together again.”

“Seems like there’s a little bit of destiny in the forecast,” Cristina said.

Everyone turned and looked at her.

“What, I’m a television weatherperson now, I have to make lame ‘forecast’ jokes,” she looked directly at Addison. “It’s in my contract.”

*END*

 


End file.
